


Melody of the Hearts

by peachlattes



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arranged Marriage, Ben Solo is a playboy, Dry Humping, Eventual Resolved Sexual Tension, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Kissing, POV Ben Solo, POV Rey (Star Wars), Rey is a college student, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Their relationship isn't the healthiest at the beginning but i promise it gets better and healthier, cheating that could also not be cheating but just a warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:33:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22277155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachlattes/pseuds/peachlattes
Summary: Rey Palpatine, heiress to the infamous Palpatine fortune, knew all about Ben Solo - the rich, spoiled, overprivileged, and egotistical son of Senator Leia Organa and famous archeologist Han Solo. She knew that he was the stereotypical “womanizing bad boy”, often pictured in gossip magazines at the most elite nightclubs with at least 2 models wrapped around his arms. And she knew that they were only betrothed to marry for his parents’ political gain and her grandfather’s own selfish reasons.Modern AU where Rey is forced to marry Ben to please their respective families and, despite their initial opposition, they eventually can’t deny the growing connection between them.2020/09/07*I have decided to put this fic on an indefinite hiatus until I figure out where I want this story to go and how to fix some characterization issues. Thank you to everyone who has read my fic so far and given me feedback.
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 123
Kudos: 267





	1. Confidently Lost

Rey knew all about Ben Solo. She knew that he was the son of the prestigious Senator Leia Organa and famous archeologist Han Solo. She knew that he was born and raised in New York. She knew that, at the age of 29, he was already on his way to follow his mother’s footsteps in politics. And she knew that he had made headlines this week for starting a fight at some nightclub with some rapper and then walked out with two models wrapped around his arms. To be honest, she knew whatever a decent 30 minutes of googling could tell her. 

Rey sat back in the plush leather seat of the car she was in. The rhythmic beats that emitted from her headphones were the only things that were keeping her from completely freaking out, rolling out of the car, and running away as fast as she could from what was waiting for her.

The reality of her situation hadn’t sunk in until she was being escorted off the NYU campus by her bodyguard, Ryan, and into the black, window-tinted Mercedes she was in now. She had been in a daze for the past month since her “engagement”. By the time she realized that this was all actually happening, her personal driver had already taken off towards the Upper East Side of Manhatten and she was stuck. 

Rey grimaced. Bodyguard. Mercedes. Personal driver. 

She still hadn’t gotten used to what her life was now. She was grateful for the new luxuries in her life but hated that she was now known everywhere as “The Heiress of New York”. 

Having been orphaned at the age of 6, Rey worked hard for every single thing in her life. She was passed through the foster system until she was old enough to work and saved up enough money to rent a small room in the East Village. It was the Tico family who was renting out that spare room in their apartment and Mr. and Mrs. Tico treated Rey like she was their own daughter. It also helped that their actual daughters, Rose and Paige, were around Rey’s age and they were all able to get along. 

However, despite how loving the Tico family was, Rey still felt like she was on her own. She still had to fight for everything she wanted in life. That’s why, when she was offered a full-blown scholarship for her first year at NYU, Rey finally felt like everything was coming together. She was able to move out with Rose into an apartment near their future school and she had made a few close friends during her first month at NYU, including Rose’s now-boyfriend Finn and Poe. Everything was going so well. 

That was until her grandfather, the infamous Sheev Palpatine, had come barging into her life with the proclamation that she was his long, lost granddaughter who he had been searching for since the death of her parents and the heiress to the Palpatine fortune. 

Within 1 month, her face was all over the tabloids and she had to walk to her classes with two personal bodyguards at her side at all times. And within 1 year, her grandfather had already arranged for her to be married off to Ben Solo. 

Rey let out a heavy sigh. She could have said no. She wanted to say no. But in the 1 year that she knew her grandfather, she learned one absolute truth: that Sheev Palpatine would use everything at his disposal to get what he wanted. It was inescapable. 

So they made a deal. If she stayed married to Ben Solo for at least 1 year, just enough time for Palpatine to have some sort of influence in the political activities of Senator Leia Organa, then he would pay for the rest of her undergraduate degree and any other pursuits she wanted to embark on - in other words, she would have access to her grandfather’s fortune before he even died.

Rey wondered if that made her a sellout. Maybe. But she didn’t care because she could do some real good with that money, like helping out underprivileged kids or funding orphanages just like the one she used to live in. She just had to endure 1 year of marriage to the spoiled, overprivileged, and egotistical Ben Solo. 

Rey nodded her head along to the beats of the R&B song that was playing on the random Spotify playlist she had clicked on and tried to calm her nerves down. Eventually, she felt the car come to a stop. 

“We’re here, Miss. Rey,” her driver announced. 

Rey chewed on her bottom lip, a nervous habit. She pulled the earbuds out of her ears just in time for Ryan to run to the other side of the car and open the door for her. When she got out, she offered him a small smile of thanks before she looked upon the fancy building towering before her. 

This was Ben Solo’s apartment. And she was moving in today. 

*

There was a woman who greeted Rey in the lobby of the building. When their eyes met, she straightened up and smiled, offering a small wave. “Good afternoon, Miss. Rey. I’m Zorii Bliss, Mr. Solo’s assistant.” 

Quite frankly, Rey thought she was a model before she had introduced herself. She had long wavy brown hair that flowed over her shoulders and intense blue-grey eyes. 

A jealous churn began within Rey’s stomach but she tried to ignore it. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering if Zorii and Ben had slept together? Zorii was absolutely beautiful and it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if that was why Ben had hired her as his assistant. He had built quite a reputation for himself, from being spotted on his yacht with groups of international supermodels to those videos of him and random girls dancing on each other that Rey had found on a sleazy gossip website while searching him up. 

She tried to shake those thoughts away before forcing herself to smile back at Zorii. “It’s nice to meet you.” If she was Ben’s assistant, that meant she would be Rey’s assistant too once they were married. 

Zorii led Rey and her bodyguard to the elevator and pressed on the button for the 25th floor. The continued to speak the whole time, going over the details of the past two days leading up to her move in, and Rey tried her best to nod along. 

“Mr. Solo’s apartment has been totally upgraded for your arrival, Miss. Rey. We’ve moved in all new furniture that we hope are to your liking. Most of your belongings, such as your clothing, were moved in last night. I also understand that you have some personal items that haven’t been moved in yet but I can coordinate a team to retrieve those things for you.” 

“Oh, that’s okay. My old roommate and some friends are coming by tonight to drop some things off…” Rey’s voice falters when she sees Zorii furrow her brows together. 

“Miss. Rey, seeing at this is your first night with Mr. Solo...I don’t think he was expecting guests.” 

Rey swallowed. Oh right. This wasn’t her home, it was Ben’s. Even though she technically was moving in, she couldn’t just bring guests over whenever she wanted to without talking to him first. “I guess I didn’t think about that. I’ll talk to them then. Or Mr.Solo.” 

Zorii raised an eyebrow. “Miss. Rey, he’s your fiance. I think he’d be okay if you called him by his first name.” 

At that, Rey felt her cheeks warm up. “Oh. Right.” 

Finally, the elevator dinged to signal that they had arrived. When the elevator door opened, Rey let out a small gasp. It had opened right into the living room of a penthouse overlooking Manhatten. And she was now staring into the dark eyes of Ben Solo. 

* 

Zorii had given Rey a tour of the penthouse, including the room that would be shared by both her and her fiance. The whole time, Ben quietly stalked behind them without speaking a word and she could feel his eyes on her the whole time. 

The penthouse was huge and absolutely immaculate. It was open-concept, with the kitchen connecting to the living room, and there were two huge rooms: one of which was a bedroom and the other an office. But, overall, it was relatively empty. No artwork or posters or pictures anywhere. No souvenirs or anything on the shelves. 

When it was time for Zorii and her bodyguard to go, Rey suddenly felt her stomach twist. She watched as the elevator doors closed over Zorii and Ryan’s faces. Zorii offered Rey a reassuring smile, probably because she could see the panic that was beginning to form in her eyes. Ryan’s face was stone-cold, just like always. 

When the doors finally closed, Rey kind of just stood there and stared at them blankly. Eventually, she took a deep breath and prepared for the awkwardness that would ensue as she began her first night alone with her fiance. She could feel Ben’s eyes on the back of her head. 

“Um,” Rey began. She turned around to see him leaning back against the couch in the middle of the room with his arms folded across his chest. He was just staring at her. His face was expressionless, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. Rey forced herself to continue. “I have some friends coming over. Later. They’re dropping off some of my stuff. I thought I should tell you.” 

Ben regarded her. After a while, he spoke and his deep voice rumbled across the room. “It’s our first night together, fiancee. And you invite guests?” His tone was mocking. 

Rey felt a bolt of anger shoot through her system. She glared at Ben. “Well, fiance, I just had to show my friends my new home. Our new home.” She tried to make her voice as cold as possible. 

At that, the ends of Ben’s lips curled up into a sly smirk. He put his hands out in front of him, feigning innocence. “No need for our first fight. Your friends can come but they can’t stay. I don’t like having people over.”

Rey scoffed at that. “But I guess your weekly hook-ups are the exception, then?” She didn’t hide the anger in her voice. She was angry. Angry because her soon-to-be-husband was an asshole. Angry because this whole situation felt ridiculous. Angry because, a year ago, she finally thought she had some semblance of control over her life and now it was all gone. 

As Ben walked towards her, Rey defiantly stared back at him. He walked right up to her and leaned down, to the point where their faces were only inches apart. His eyes twinkled with mischief. 

Rey felt her face heat up, but she squared her jaw and grounded herself where she was. She wasn’t going to let Ben Solo get to her. She only had to stay married to him for a year and she told herself she could handle that.

Rey took in a deep breath through her nose. She braced herself for another snide comment from Ben. She knew she could handle whatever he was going to throw at her. 

That was until Ben’s hand reached out to grab her chin and he pressed his lips down onto hers. Rey made a squeak of surprise as she felt his lips move across hers. And despite herself, she kissed him back. 

When they finally pulled apart, Ben was practically beaming - dimples and all. His eyes still shone with mischief which gave Rey a bad feeling in her stomach. 

“Come on soon-to-be-wife. Let’s get you settled in.”


	2. All Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey's first night together as an engaged couple doesn't go as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might be a bit long, but bear with me! Quite a bit happens

Ben knew all about Rey Palpatine. He knew that after her birth, her parents had run off with their newborn child and cut all ties with her grandfather, Sheev Palpatine. He knew that, when her parents’ bodies were finally identified after that tragic car crash, Rey had gone missing and no one could find her. Probably already on her way to one of the many orphanages scattered across the state, her true identity was completely oblivious to both her and anyone she would meet. 

Ben was only 15 years old when he sat in the living room of his parent’s home and watched the news broadcast. Palpatine held a press conference, offering a million dollars to anyone who could find his granddaughter. He had no photo of her, no knowledge of what she looked like, and no idea where she was. But Sheev Palpatine always got what he wanted. 

“That poor girl,” his mother tsked. “Palpatine is going to unleash hell trying to find her. Motivated by his own wickedness.” 

It was over a decade later when that news article about “Rey Jakku, promising engineer orphaned at 6 years old, receives NYU scholarship” was published. It took Palpatine a few months but eventually he realized that that was his granddaughter. He tracked her down, made her take some DNA tests, and it was soon official: the Lost Heiress had been found. 

At 28 years old, the last thing Ben cared about was some heiress of Palpatine’s. But he was in his apartment, the arms of some passed out model he took home last night wrapped around him, when his mother called him with the news. Ben grimaced. Why was she so excited about this? She hates Palpatine. 

It was only a year later when Ben would find out why - his mother wanted him to marry Rey Palpatine. As Senator of New York, she needed the financial support for her own political gain and, unfortunately, Palpatine had a lot of that to give away.

Ben’s stomach churned in disgust. Palpatine was lobbying off his own granddaughter so he could have some semblance of influence over his mother’s political activities. And his own mother was selling him off for Palpatine’s “generous donations”. 

He adamantly refused. Ben was sick of being a pawn for his parents. So his mother offered him a deal. Stay married to Rey Palpatine for a year and, in return, he would have his freedom. His autonomy. After that one year, he could go wherever he wanted to and live the life he wanted. No more of a career in politics. No more of following his mother’s footsteps to become a Senator or the President or whatever. No more of anyone telling Ben who he was and wasn’t and what he could do with his life. 

So here he was: watching his fiancee dig through a brown cardboard box of personal items that had been delivered to her by a small group of friends. Ben figured that she probably didn’t trust a moving team to handle these items, even though they didn’t seem like expensive things or anything like that to him. 

He peered into the box on the kitchen island and saw what looked like books, an old teddy bear doll that was missing an arm, a small broken vase, and some things wrapped in old pieces of cloth. He wondered how any of this could be of value to her, it just seemed like garbage that she had kept. Things that should have been thrown out a long time ago. 

Ben watched Rey pick up the porcelain vase. It was painted a light green and was really small, probably only able to hold 1 flower during its prime. He watched her turn the vase in her hands, taking in slow deep breaths. He saw the way her hazel eyes glossed over as she pondered whatever meaning the vase had to her. He watched her chew on her bottom lip, clearly deep in thought. And he followed the freckles that were sprinkled across her nose and cheeks like stars splayed across the night sky. 

Ben had to fight the instinct to reach out and hold her rosy cheeks in his palm. He realized he had never really looked at Rey. Of course, he had seen her on tabloids and gossip magazines. “The Heiress of New York” they would say. But the first time they met, when his parents and her grandfather had sat down to make arrangements and sign contracts, Ben didn’t even give Rey a passing glance. He had just spent the night with Cassia? No, Amber. And his head was pounding from the previous night.

Rey lifted her head to meet Ben’s dark eyes staring back at her. Her eyes widened in surprise. “What?” 

Ben cleared his throat and nodded his head towards the box. “You can put this stuff in the closet. If it has sentimental meaning to you, you can keep it but otherwise, I don’t see the point.”

Rey furrowed her eyebrows at him, her eyes alight with fury. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. This is my apartment now too, remember?” She lifted the vase in front of Ben’s eyes and raised a mocking eyebrow. “Where do you think this should go?” 

Ben scoffed. “You’re not putting that in my apartment, it’s trash.”

Rey flinched at the last word. “Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. She gently placed the vase back into the box and Ben shifted uncomfortably when he saw the sadness in her eyes. 

He let out a heavy sigh and softly shook his head, trying his best to clear out his previous thoughts. “Like I said, you can put the box in the closet. In my bedroom. I’ll show you.” 

* 

Rey followed Ben into his bedroom and she gaped at how huge it was. She hadn’t looked inside during her tour with Zorii, her mind too focused on how closely she was standing next to her future husband and the uneasy feeling that had spread throughout her when she noticed him staring at her.

There was a small seating area right in front of the entrance, complete with brown leather chairs and a chunky grey carpet. At the other end of the room, there was a king-size bed complete with black silk sheets and a plush headrest. Rey took in her surroundings and the blank white walls that surrounded her. Eventually her eyes landed on a huge window overlooking Manhattan. She hadn’t even noticed it had gotten dark outside, but the blinking city lights contrasted perfectly against the navy blue sky. 

Rey nervously bit her bottom lip as she took in the sight, not even realizing that Ben was watching her as she walked up to the window and placed her head on the cold glass. 

She let out a shaky breath. Up here, in Ben’s 25th floor penthouse, all Rey could think about was a younger version of herself who would look up at the towering buildings in her city and would wonder who each window belonged to. She would watch shadows dance within the warm light emitted from inside and she wondered if they could see her too. Down here, on the cold streets. 

Rey now knew they probably couldn’t have seen her because everyone looked like ants from where she was standing now. 

Ben cleared his throat behind her. Rey turned to see him with the box in his hand and him opening his closet door with his foot. “I’ll put this in here for now.” But he had angled the box wrong and Rey cried out as she watched her belongings tumble out. 

Ben cursed loudly and shot his hand out to catch whatever he could. He froze when he heard the crashing of glass against the hardwood floor. “Shit.”  
Rey let out a muffled sob as she looked down at the broken pieces of her vase. Her mom’s vase. Ben lightly kicked the pieces and sighed. “Let me get a dustpan. We can throw it in the trash over there.” 

“No!” Rey scowled at Ben, her face red and her eyes brimming with tears. They began to fall down her cheek as she slowly walked towards him and bent down to examine the broken pieces of green porcelain. She sniffled, holding one of them in her hand. “You...you…”

Ben reached down for Rey’s hand but she snatched it away. She looked up at him, her eyes aglow with rage. “You selfish, spoiled asshole!” 

Ben flinched back, totally taken aback by her outburst. It was just a stupid vase, he thought. Why did she care so much about it? He could buy her hundreds of them if she wanted. 

“You don’t care about anyone except yourself!” Rey cried out. Tears were pouring down her face now. “You think you can do whatever you want? You think you’re so untouchable? Just because you’re Ben Solo?” 

“Rey, I’m sor-” 

“Well, you’re not! I know who you are. Everybody does. You’re nothing but a womanizing dick who has no regard for anyone else! You’re a monster.” 

Monster. Her words rang through Ben’s ears and he couldn’t control the words that began to spill from his lips. 

“And you think you’re so much better?” Ben shouted. “You may think you’re somebody now, but you’re not! You’re just an orphan found on the streets and taken in by someone who felt sorry for you! You’re nothing.” 

Rey stared back at Ben like he had slapped her. They stayed like that, staring at each other in disbelief for a few minutes. The silence between them seemed to stretch on forever. Rey was the first to speak. “I just...I just can’t wait for this stupid year to be over with.” 

With that, she stormed out of the room. Ben huffed. A year. He figured she had probably made a deal with her grandfather that was similar to the deal he had with his mother. 

Still, he couldn’t fight the budding sense of sadness in his chest. He did not think this night was going to be like this. To be honest, he didn’t know what he expected. Did he think they were going to just suddenly get along without even knowing each other? Create some sort of rules so that they could exist amicably with each other before one of them eventually filed for divorce once their respective families got what they wanted?

Ben bent down to pick up Rey’s stuff and put them back into the box. He shoved it into the back of his closet. Saved for last, he gathered the broken pieces of porcelain and wrapped them in a handkerchief. He stowed them away in the top drawer of his bedside table. He didn’t know why he did but he just did. 

* 

Rey and Ben didn’t speak to each other all night. 

She sat quietly on the living room couch, with her phone in her hand and her earbuds in her ears. He spent the rest of the night in his office. 

Eventually, it was almost 1 am and neither of them could deny how tired they were. It had been an exhausting day and Rey just wanted to snuggle up under her covers and drift peacefully to sleep. 

Except she wouldn’t be snuggling up under her covers tonight. She would be in Ben’s bed. Ben, the person who had just called her nothing. 

However, Rey had to admit her words weren’t any kinder. She had called him a monster. And maybe he didn’t deserve that. He didn’t break her vase on purpose. It wasn’t like he was purposely trying to antagonize her. Still, she didn’t want to see him again, let alone sleep next to him tonight. 

“It’ll be fine,” Rey whispered to herself, trying to build up her courage. “He’s probably still in his other room. Just try to pass out before he goes to bed. If he even does.” 

She didn’t expect Ben to come to sleep in bed with her tonight. He probably would sleep in his office. And she didn’t expect to be able to talk to Ben about what happened either. They would probably just avoid each other tomorrow and the next day. Rey wondered if she could avoid him for the next year. 

But when Rey walked into Ben’s room, she certainly didn’t expect to see him standing there with nothing on except a pair of black sleep pants. His top half was completely nude and his pale skin shone in the moonlight coming through the window.  
When Ben noticed Rey walk in, he sighed and shook his head. He shot Rey a look of annoyance. “Can’t you knock?” 

Rey tried to straighten herself up but her eyes were completely mesmerized by his sculpted upper body. He looked like a marble statue, every muscle and ridge perfectly melded with each other. 

Ben caught Rey staring at him and let out a humorless laugh. “I didn’t think you’d find a monster so enticing to look at.” 

That brought her back to her senses. She rolled her eyes. “You’re flattering yourself. Can you put on a shirt or something? I just want to go to bed.” She carefully walked into the room and looked at one of the drawers. “Is this mine?” 

Ben nodded, his face dark and motionless as he watched her pick through her clothes. Finally, she brought out a pair of grey sweatpants and an oversized shirt with a faded design of some singer. “Turn around,” she said bluntly, glaring at him. 

But Ben stood where he was. “What? You don’t want to undress in front of your fiance?” His lips curled up into a cruel smirk. “Eventually, you’re going to have to.” 

Rey felt her face turn red, but she forced herself to not look away in embarrassment. Ben raised an eyebrow at her expectantly. 

Now, Rey was never someone to back down from a challenge. She was strong and determined and refused to let anyone think that they had the upper hand on her. In other words, Ben finally found himself a worthy opponent. 

Rey forced herself to fake a sweet smile. “Of course, fiance. How silly of me,” her voice dripped with venom. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it above her head. She tossed it on the ground. Next, she grabbed the waistband of her jeans and shimmied it off her body. 

Rey relished in seeing Ben’s eyes bulge out of his head slightly. Still, he kept his face and body composed. Once she was done, she mirrored him and folded her arms across her chest before raising an eyebrow as well. 

Ben swallowed as his eyes danced across Rey’s body. She was wearing nothing except a pair of blue panties and a red bra. Her hair was out of the bun she had on earlier today and the strands lightly flowed down her shoulders. When he met her eyes again, he saw two intense hazel eyes staring back at him. Challenging him. It was his move now. 

Without hesitation, Ben stripped off his sleeping pants and stood in his black boxers. He smiled to himself as he watched her face flush. He decided he liked teasing Rey. “Now, darling fiancee, do you know what happens after this?” 

Rey furrowed her eyebrows, but her face continued to burn red. “You’re disgusting. And an idiot if you think I’m going to let you anywhere near me.” She pulled back the covers of the bed and promptly lied down, her back turned to him as she wrapped the blanket around her body. 

Ben followed suit, except he laid down on his back. He stared at the ceiling. He felt himself harden slightly at the thought of Rey, clad in her bra and underwear, near to him. He thought about the way her breasts gently bounced as she stripped herself of her clothes, her eyes never once leaving his. The way her tanned skin looked so beautiful against the backdrop of the night sky. 

Ben let out a breath and adjusted his hardening dick, which was now uncomfortably pressed up against his boxers. He heard Rey’s breathing even out and figured she had probably fallen asleep. She must have been tired, considering the day she just had. 

Ben wasn’t always the nicest person. He was a straight-up asshole most of the time. But he had compassion and empathy and he knew that this whole situation wasn’t easy for his future wife. He knew she had grown up mostly alone in very harsh conditions and, up until the point when she found out she was the heiress to the Palpatine fortune, she had worked hard for everything in her life. She worked for her NYU scholarship. She worked for the friends she had. She worked more for her life than Ben had for his. 

“I’m sorry I called you a monster.” Rey’s voice was quiet. 

When Ben didn’t say anything back, she turned around to face him and found him staring back at her. He sighed and shrugged. “You’re not wrong.” Then he turned to his side, facing her now, and propped himself up on his elbow. “I’m sorry I called you nothing." 

You're not...not to me, Ben thought in his head. 

Rey perked her eyebrows up. “Ben Solo apologizing? Should I alert the paparazzi?” She beamed at him with a sly smile. 

Ben laughed and Rey felt a warm feeling form in her stomach as she watched dimples form on each side of his mouth. She liked that about him, the way he smiled. She felt her cheeks turn pink as she remembered the way he smiled after he had kissed earlier tonight. 

“Maybe...maybe tomorrow we can learn more about each other,” Ben spoke hesitantly, trying to study Rey’s reaction. “I mean we’re going to be married in like a month. It might be a good idea to get to know each other.”

Rey felt her lips perk up. She made a small noise of approval as her eyes grazed across his face and his bare chest. She took in his features: his nose, his high cheekbones, and plush lips. She watched the way his eyes quickly fluttered shut, a faint smile on his lips. 

She didn’t remember pushing herself up on her elbows. Nor did she remember grabbing Ben’s face in her hands. His eyes shot open and he furrowed his eyebrows in bemusement. “Rey, what’s wro-”

Without thinking, Rey pushed her lips against Ben’s. She felt him tense above her but, soon enough, his mouth began to respond. She felt him place his hand on her hip and she let out a tiny squeak when he gave it a gentle squeeze. 

A million thoughts were going through Rey’s head at this point: how she shouldn’t have been doing this, how she didn’t know Ben well enough to be laying near-naked next to him in bed, but also how this kiss seemed to set her body ablaze. 

When she pulled apart, Ben’s eyes searched her face wildly. He was breathless. “Rey.” 

Rey felt like she was floating on a cloud, her head dizzy from what she had just done. She plopped herself back onto the bed and turned onto her side, away from him now. 

“Good night, Ben Solo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this chapter! 
> 
> Also, thank you for everyone who commented and are following along with this story. It was so nice seeing the comments from the previous chapter, I'm really happy that you guys seem to be liking this so far. 
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP! 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr too!! [emelissia](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/)


	3. Adore You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected guest shows up.

“Coffee?” 

“Hmmm?” Rey looked up from her phone to Ben watching her. She offered him a small smile. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

Ben grinned. “Now, what did I do to deserve such polite behavior from my fiancee on this beautiful morning?”

Rey rolled her eyes before returning to her scroll through Instagram. “You’re annoying, you know that?” 

Ben chuckled as he poured coffee into two mugs, one of which was labeled ‘Snoke & Associates’. From Rey’s online stalking, she knew that that was where Ben had worked for a while as an intern while in law school one summer. During her search, she also found out that Ben had taken the bar exam at the age of 21 and passed with one of the highest scores in the state. She remembered the headline of one specific news article: “Senator Leia Organa’s Son: Promising Lawyer and Budding Politician”. 

That was quickly followed by reports which didn’t really showcase his intellect or his career goals. From sleazy captions like “Senator’s Son Caught in Action with Two Models” to “Grandma Senator? Ben Solo Got Me Pregnant!”, Rey’s fiance definitely created a different reputation for himself within the media. 

“Milk and sugar?” Ben asked, before passing her a carton of 2% and some sugar in a jar. Rey watched the way his muscles flexed as he moved. He had just gotten out of the shower and apparently had also forgotten to put on a shirt? But Rey didn’t seem to mind. 

As they mixed their coffee, Rey continued to idly tap on her phone. Ben walked up next to her and tilted his head to figure out what she was doing on there. 

“Who’s that?” he asked, taking a sip from his mug. Rey smiled and showed him a picture of a couple kissing and embracing each other on Instagram. They looked familiar. 

“That’s Finn and Rose. They’re my friends and today is their one year anniversary as a couple,” Rey said with a wistful look in her eyes. 

Ben cocked an eyebrow. “They came here last night, didn’t they? To bring that box of your stuff.” Rey nodded and sipped her coffee too. She grimaced. “Ugh. This needs more sugar.” 

Ben smiled as he watched Rey. He saw the way her eyebrows furrowed and her bottom lip jut out in a pout. He liked the way she wrinkled her nose and the way her eyes got all intense over a task as simple as putting sugar in her coffee. 

Rey took one more sip and smiled. “Much better.” 

Ben’s eyes twinkled as he looked down at her. His eyes darted from her eyes to her nose to her mouth. “What are your plans for today?” 

“Hm, I have some exercises I need to complete for school. I have a paper due at the end of the next week too, so I should probably get started on that,” Rey wrinkled her forehead as she thought. “Oh! I also have to email my professor about…” 

She trailed off when she realized Ben was watching her with a stupid grin on his face. She looked back with concern written across her face. “Ben...what is it?”

“Nothing. I just like hearing you talk.” He reached out to tuck a stray strand of her hair from her face. Rey instantly felt herself flush. She cursed silently to herself because she had been doing that a lot around Ben. 

It was ridiculous, she thought. She’d only really known him for what? A day? And already she had butterflies in her stomach every time he looked at her and her heart would do somersaults every time he smiled that freaking dimpled smile. Plus, they’d kissed twice at this point too and she hasn’t stopped thinking about his lips on hers since last night. 

But, Rey figured that wasn’t a bad thing. They were arranged to be married in a month and it couldn’t hurt to maybe like Ben a little bit. Even more than a little bit. 

To be honest, Rey had never had romantic feelings for anyone before. She grew up her whole life trying to fend for herself and focusing on whether her needs were met first. That left little time for her to worry about a boyfriend or even a husband. She knew that eventually, she might have to settle down if she wanted to. But she never felt like she wanted to or even needed to. She had entered this whole marriage situation with Ben because of what her grandfather had promised her after one year - but, if things worked out and she stayed married to Ben, she could have the best of both worlds. 

“We should have dinner tonight. You and me.” Ben’s eyes never left her face and Rey felt her blush deepen. She took a deep breath. 

“Like a date?” 

Ben shrugged. “Sure. I mean, it’ll give us time to get to know each other. Maybe figure out ways to stop getting on each other’s nerves and live...harmoniously.” He winked at her, his lips turning up into that stupid grin that made that warm feeling stir in her stomach. 

And for a moment Rey forgot she was having this moment with Ben Solo. Ben Solo the womanizer. Ben Solo the asshole. Ben Solo who has no regard for any human life other than himself. 

What a fool, she would have thought if she knew what was coming next. 

For a few heartbeats, they just kind of looked into each other’s eyes. Suddenly, a loud buzz interrupted their trance and both of their heads whipped around to its source: the security system next to the elevator. It had a buzzer and a touchpad with a passcode and a huge screen linked to a camera that recorded whoever in the main lobby wanted to come up to Ben’s penthouse. He sighed. “Probably a delivery.” 

Rey watched as Ben walked over to the screen and pressed a button. “Who is it?”

“Benny!” a woman’s voice whined on the other end. Rey felt her breath hitch and her stomach drop. She felt anger surge through her body as she watched the blood drain from Ben’s face. “Baby! It’s me, Cassia! Can you buzz me up?” 

“O-oh, uhm…” Ben was completely dumbfounded, which only fueled Rey’s anger. He glanced over at his fiancee who was fuming and glaring back at him. 

Cassia? Oh. 

Rey knew who Cassia was. Cassia Brown, one of the girls that Ben was spotted with a few months ago on his private yacht. According to US Weekly, he had taken a trip down to Miami with an entourage full of women but was reported to “pay extra special attention to social media influencer Cassia Brown”. 

Rey huffed and stood up from her stool at the kitchen island to, well, Rey didn’t know what she was going to. Maybe she would go to the library and get some work done. Ignore Ben the whole day and immerse herself in the one thing she did understand. Maybe she would go visit Rose at their old apartment and rant about what a freaking asshole Ben Solo was. Either way, she had to get out of the apartment because if Ben shot her another look of apology, she was going to hit him right in his perfect face. 

“Cassia, hold on.” Ben pressed the button again and spoke into the mic. He put an arm out to stop Rey from leaving. 

“Baby, what’s taking so long?” Cassia huffed on the screen. Rey’s eyes darted from the woman on the screen and then to Ben. 

“You’re unbelievable.” She turned around and stomped towards their bedroom. Almost immediately, she felt Ben’s hands on her arm trying to pull her back. 

“What do you want, Cassia?” Ben wouldn’t let go of Rey, no matter how hard she tried to pull away from his grasp. 

“I think I left something here from the other night! Did you see my bra? You know, the red one that you like with the lace,” Cassia giggled. 

Rey didn’t think it was possible to want to hit someone so badly in her life. But when Ben looked at her with those stupid wide eyes, she realized that it was actually very possible to want to smack someone in the face with all the strength she had in her body. That was good to know. 

“Rey...I…” Ben stammered. He closed his eyes to massage his temples before those striking brown eyes were on her once again. “Just stay here. Please.” He pressed a code into the touchpad and within a few minutes, the elevator dinged to signal Cassia’s arrival. 

“Hmph! Benny, what took so long? It was cold downstairs and I…” Cassia’s voice trailed off when she made eye contact with Rey. 

Rey took in a deep breath as she took Cassia in. She tried to fight off the feeling of inadequacy that passed through her, but a bit still managed to seep through. Cassia was tall with tanned skin and short wavy blonde hair. Her tight, bodycon dress was completely filled out by her chest and hips and Rey could only self-consciously wrap her arms around her body. 

“Benny, who is this?” Cassia’s eyes gaped as realization set in. “Oh! Is this her? The heiress? Your fiancee?” She grimaced at the last word before looking at Ben in complete astonishment. 

Ben let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his long, wavy black locks. “Cassia, this is Rey. Rey, this is Cassia.” 

Cassia looked at Rey with wide eyes of disbelief. She shot her hand out to her. “Rey Palpatine! Hi! I’m Cassia Brown. I’ve...wow, you’re the heiress. THE heiress.” 

Rey stared at her coldly, completely disregarding her extended hand. Ben stepped in between them and cleared his throat. “Cassia, what did you need?” 

Her eyes flickered from Rey to Ben and then back to Rey. “I just...wow! I mean, congratulations to both of you. I remember reading about your engagement on Instagram a few months ago! I just didn’t think it was all happening so soon. Especially not after...” Cassia’s voice trailed off as she gave Ben a cheeky smile. 

Rey felt a surge of anger pass through her. It took everything within her to not rip that stupid smile off of Cassia’s face. She felt her nails digging into her palms as her hands balled into fists. 

“Anyways!” Cassia chirped. “I left my bra here the other night! I know it was your favorite, Benny, but I’m going to have to take it back.” 

Rey had never seen a human being as flustered and stupefied as Ben Solo at that moment. He ran a hand through his hair again, probably a nervous habit. “Yeah, Cassia, you can go look for it. You know where you left it and…” He shut up when he saw the murderous expression on Rey’s face. 

Cassia hummed in approval and practically skipped to the bedroom. 

Ben let out a sigh of relief and turned to Rey. His eyebrows furrowed together as he studied her face. “Rey, you can breathe now.”

She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath in. She exhaled and took a few deep breaths for extra measure. She chose her next words very carefully. “What happened the other night?” 

“What?” Ben looked at her, puzzled. “Oh. The other night with Cassia.” His chest heaved as he took in a deep breath. That’s when Rey realized he was still shirtless, which did not make the situation any better. 

She was losing patience with her fumbling fiance. “So, you slept with her? We’ve been engaged for a month and you slept with another woman?” 

“What?” The intensity in Ben’s eyes returned. “You’re kidding me, right?” He walked up to Rey so that their faces were only a few inches apart. 

“What engagement?” he sneered. “My parents and your grandfather just signed some papers a month ago. There was no engagement. It didn’t count as a real engagement. None of this counts.” 

Rey scowled. “That still doesn’t give you the right to-”

“It does, Rey, it does.” Ben threw his hands up in the air and gripped his hair in both hands. “You want to know why? Because whatever is between Cassia and I is so much more real than what is between us.” 

Rey felt her heart drop. 

“All of this is fake! Our engagement. Our marriage or whatever you want to call it. And I know we both made deals with our families to only stay married to each other for one year,” Ben pointed a finger at Rey. She tried to find the words to say something back, to say anything back, but her throat and mouth were completely dry. She could only continue to gape at her fiance. 

“We’re both just pawns in their game.” Ben was on a rampage. He didn’t know where all this anger and frustration was coming from. And he didn’t know why he was unloading all of this on Rey. “You think your grandfather cares about you? Well, he doesn’t. Just like I know my parents don’t really care about me. You’re new to this, Rey Palpatine, so get used to it. We are nothing to our families except trading pieces for their own selfish purposes.”

Ben’s words rang throughout the living room. Rey was speechless. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat but her bottom lip still kept trembling. 

“Found it!” Cassia’s voice rang from the hallway, totally oblivious to the tension in the room. “Thank goodness too because this one was expensive.” 

She beamed at Ben. “I guess this is goodbye, Benny.” She lifted herself up on her tippy-toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Ben didn’t even seem to notice that she was there, his eyes still furiously watching Rey. 

Cassia turned and enveloped Rey in a hug, much to her chagrin. “You take care of him now, Ms. Heiress. He’s a whole lot of mischief but he can be sweet when he wants to be. Plus, the sex is amazing.”

She giggled as she strolled into the elevator again, not before leaving Ben with a wink as the metal doors closed. 

“Ben…” The anger within Rey’s body had dissipated. She wanted to reach out to stroke his face because he looked absolutely broken. She could see the muscles in his arms and chest tense as she spoke. 

With his eyes downcast, Ben grabbed a pair of keys hanging off of the wall hook. “I’m going out.” 

He rummaged through the closet in the hallway, re-emerging with a black sweater and jacket. Rey nervously chewed on her lip as she watched him put on his shoes, totally at a loss for words. 

As the elevator doors moved over Ben’s face, he shot Rey one final look before they closed. 

All she could remember was the sadness that filled his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'm trying to update as often as possible because I'm really excited to be writing this story! 
> 
> And also you guys are so kind. Thank you to everyone who has commented and given kudos and bookmarked this story, it really means a lot to me. 
> 
> I should be updating chapter 4 soon, if not tonight then definitely tomorrow. 
> 
> Also, another shameless plug - follow me on tumblr!! [emelissia](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/)


	4. Never Call Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben gets a taste of his own medicine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this chapter came from the mind of some of the lovely commenters from chapter 3! I hope it was everything you wanted and more

When Ben came home that night, he didn’t say anything to her. Rey was at the kitchen island completing exercises for her engineering mathematics course when she heard the elevator ding and Ben step out. 

She held her breath as she watched him walk into the kitchen, pour himself a glass of water, and then storm off into his office. He didn’t even look at her once. And, that night, he didn’t come to bed either. 

Rey was awake until 2 am, her entire mind racing with thoughts. She was angry at Ben for having slept with Cassia literally the night before she was set to move in. She was angry that Ben seemed to be just as upset towards her and for no reason too because he was the asshole in this situation, wasn’t he? And she was angry at herself for thinking, for even one second, that she could tolerate a marriage with the infamous Ben Solo. 

That had been a week ago. 

And for an entire week, they didn’t speak to each other at all. Rey was overwhelmed with classes and assignments and so, she would usually come home from campus late into the evening. To be honest, she just stayed at the library until closing hours because she wanted to avoid Ben. When she did come home, he would usually be in his office and wouldn’t come out unless to go to the bathroom or grab himself a beer from the fridge. 

Ben slept in his office the whole time. There was a couch that was too small for his large body but he forced himself to make do with it. He would spend his days and nights watching movies on his laptops and reading the admission pamphlets for law schools on the other side of the world. 

He knew that with his LSAT scores, he could have gotten into any school he wanted. He just never bothered with applying because it wouldn’t matter in the end - his mother had already planned his whole life out for him. 

It was only after Ben made that deal with her that he had started to think about going back to school and creating the life that he wanted. He just had to get through this year with Rey and he would be free to do whatever he wanted to. 

Ben couldn’t deny that his heart ached a little bit when he thought about his fiancee. His poor fiancee who hadn’t really done anything wrong but he still couldn’t get himself to face her after that day Cassia came over. His poor fiancee who had to sleep by herself the past week in that cold, empty bed and couldn’t even bear to look him in the eye anymore whenever they were in the same room together. 

Truth be told, Ben missed her. 

He missed the way she challenged him with that glint in her eyes. He missed the way she chewed on her bottom lip whenever she was thinking about something or how she would blush whenever she caught him looking at her. 

He thought himself ridiculous and clingy. “You barely know her,” he would say to himself. “Don’t get so attached.” 

But Ben had to admit that there was something there between them, something that had made itself apparent after their first kiss. He just didn’t know what to do with it.

* 

It was Friday night and Ben wasn’t home. Rey had no idea where he could have gone to because he was usually locked up in his office at this hour, but she forced herself to not care. 

Her friends had come over that evening. Her fiance was gone so she had the place all to herself. And it was the first time she’d seen them in two weeks since she had moved into Ben’s apartment. Poe and Finn brought over a pizza and some wings while Rose had a nice bottle of red wine with her. 

They were sitting in the living room, some music gently bumping on the stereos in the background, while Rey poured out each exhausting detail over what had happened between her and Ben. 

“Are you serious? He slept with someone else while you guys are engaged?” Her friends gaped at her, total disbelief and anger written all over their faces.

Rey nodded slowly. She sighed as she picked apart her chicken wing covered in some spicy mango syrup. “And his defense was that what we had wasn’t real. As if the fact that this is an arranged marriage makes it okay for him to sleep with every girl he lays his eyes on!” She quickly devoured the wing before taking a sip from her wine glass to wash it down. “I just thought he might have had some sort of respect for me to at least not sleep with anyone while we’re both stuck in this ridiculous situation.” 

Finn huffed angrily while taking a bite of his pizza. “We’ve all read those articles about him and seen those pictures of him leaving the club with at least two girls in tow. He’s a total player!” 

“Honey, don’t chew with your mouth full.” Rose nudged Finn, giving him a disapproving look. 

He raised an eyebrow at her and grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I’m sorry, were you talking to me?” He exaggerated his chewing to give his girlfriend a full view of the food in his mouth. “I didn’t hear you, can you say that again?”

Rose squealed as she tried to block herself from the bits of pepperoni and crust that flew out of Finn’s mouth. “Stop it! You’re so gross,” she laughed as she gave him a shove on the shoulder. 

Rey watched her two friends quietly, smiling as she observed the love that was so obvious between them. Without meaning to, her thoughts shifted to Ben and what it would be like to just have a nice night like this with him: listening to music, eating pizza, and laughing about the lighter things in life. 

Poe rolled his eyes and scoffed, but he was smiling too. He nudged Finn. “Come on guys, get a room!”

Finn winked at Rose. “Maybe we should.” 

Rey laughed endearingly at how red Rose’s face had become from Finn’s wink. Poe and Finn soon joined Rey, before Rose couldn’t stop herself and broke out in giggles too. 

The friends spent a few hours chatting and catching up. Rey’s heart swelled as she laughed with them. Her thoughts had been so preoccupied with Ben that she hadn’t even realized how much she missed hanging out with them like this. 

Close to midnight, Finn announced that he had a work shift tomorrow and should probably head to bed. Rose nodded in agreement, probably eager to get in bed with her boyfriend after all the wine they had all just shared. 

They said their goodbyes and Rose promised to check in on Rey in the morning. 

“I should probably get going too.” Poe yawned and stretched in his seat. “You good here alone tonight?” 

Rey yawned too and nodded. She stood up from the couch and began to pick up some used napkins to clean up the coffee table where they had just eaten their dinner. “Yeah. Ben should probably get home soon. Or not. I don’t think I really care anymore.” 

Poe frowned, sympathy and concern flickering in his eyes. Rey hadn’t noticed she had been biting her lip nervously at the thought of her fiance coming home or even not coming home. Poe offered her a small smile and spoke softly. “If it’s any consolation, I think he’s an absolute idiot for not realizing how lucky he is to be engaged to you. You’re one of the best people I know.” 

Maybe it was because it was late and Rey was really tired after the week she just had. Maybe it was because of all the wine she drank that night. Or maybe it was because she hadn’t been able to talk to anyone about everything that was going on in her life until now and she hadn’t realized how lonely she felt while sleeping in Ben’s bed without him. But, before she knew it, tears were spilling down her cheek and she was sobbing into Poe’s arms. 

“This is all just so…” Rey choked out a sob. She felt bad getting her snot all over Poe’s shirt but, if it bothered him, he didn’t let it show. 

Poe sighed and gently stroked her head. “I know, Rey. I know.” 

She lifted her head and grabbed a napkin off the table, noisily blowing her nose into it. “I just wish my grandfather hadn’t found me. My life was perfectly fine before he barged in with his stupid rules and his stupid arranged marriage. I worked hard for the life I had and now it’s all…” She dropped her head on Poe’s shoulder, gently sobbing. 

Poe didn’t say anything, but he tilted his head so that it was leaning on hers. And they just stayed like that for a while. 

Rey actually didn’t know how long they were like that on the couch. But before long, there was a loud ding as the elevator announced Ben’s arrival. 

When the elevator doors opened and Ben saw her with her head on Poe’s shoulder and Poe’s head on hers, he felt his entire body freeze up. His initial shock was quickly replaced by anger as he felt rage completely engulf him. He scowled and bared his teeth at the scene before him. “What the hell is this?!” 

Ben barreled towards Poe and grabbed him by his shirt. Poe was initially stunned but quickly composed himself. “Get your hands off of me!” He ripped Ben’s hands away, not before shoving him back once. 

Ben didn’t even stumble. He glared at Poe before looking over at Rey. “So you get mad at me for sleeping with Cassia but here you are with another guy! You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?” 

“You’re such a dick!” Rey balled her hands into fists. If Ben grabbed Poe again, she was going to make him pay for it. “Poe is just my friend!” 

A humorless laugh escaped Ben’s lips. “Liar! You were on top of him when I came in.” 

“No, I wasn’t!” Rey was shouting now. “Poe was just comforting me because I have to deal with such an insensitive and idiotic fiancé!”

Ben glowered over Rey. His nostrils flared as Rey stared firmly back at him. 

“Hey man, nothing happened here.” Poe took a step between them but Ben quickly grabbed his arm and pinned him down. Rey screamed as she watched Ben smash Poe through the glass coffee table.

“POE!” 

She flung herself on top of Ben and began hitting her fists on his back to stop him from strangling her friend. “Ben! Stop! Get off of him!” 

Poe abruptly kicked Ben in his right shin, causing him to lose his stance for a second. Poe then brought his right fist back and slammed it against Ben’s face as hard as he could. 

Rey screamed again. She grabbed Poe’s arm to keep him from winding up for another punch. 

Ben was stunned for a millisecond before his murderous eyes trained on Poe again, an animalistic growl sounding within his chest. He prepared to lunge at the man before he felt a sharp sting across his cheek. 

“STOP!” Rey shrieked. Her face was burning red with tears streaming down her cheeks. She bared her teeth at her fiance, glaring into his eyes, and pointed to the corner of the living room next to the window. “Stand over there!” 

Ben looked at Rey with complete astonishment as he realized she had just slapped him. For some reason, that hurt more than the punch her friend had just landed on him. He scoffed and put a hand to his throbbing cheekbone as he followed his fiancee’s orders. 

Rey helped Poe off the ground and brushed off the broken glass from his back. “Are you okay?” She whispered, her voice trembling. “Poe, I’m sorry. I-” 

“It’s not your fault.” Poe shot Ben a dirty look. He looked down at himself, twisting his body as he examined himself. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt. 

Rey walked him over to the elevator. She could feel Ben’s eyes watching her the whole time but she tried her best to ignore it. 

Poe gave her a small peck on her forehead before he stepped into the elevator. “See you later, Rey.” He gave her a pitiful look before the doors closed in front of his face. 

Rey inhaled a deep breath and slowly turned her body around to face her fiance but found him only a few inches across from her. His face was twisted in anger and she could see every single one of his muscles tense against his shirt. It was somewhat distracting for Rey. 

“You let him kiss you?!” Ben fumed.

Rey let an exasperated sigh. “Poe is gay!” she yelled. “So, when I said that nothing happened between us, I really meant that nothing happened! You complete imbecile!” 

Ben stared at her, dumbfounded. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying her best to stave off a growing headache. “You’re just unbelievable, Ben. So unbelievable. I can’t believe you would-” 

“What else was I supposed to do?!” Ben’s face was suddenly inches away from Rey’s, his eyes filled with an intensity she hadn’t yet seen. That’s when she noticed the deep, bloody cut on his cheekbone and the red swelling around it. 

“Ben. Your face.” Without meaning to, Rey ran her fingers over the cut. She saw him wince and look away. He took a step back. 

“What was I supposed to think, Rey?” Ben felt a lump form in his throat but quickly swallowed it. He closed his eyes, unable to look at his fiancee. The last thing he needed was for her to see him cry. “I know I messed up with Cassia. I know I’ve messed up a lot since all of this happened. And…” He took in a deep breath and forced himself to speak the truth he had been too afraid to face. “And I know you deserve a lot better than me.” 

Rey’s eyes widened as she took in Ben’s words. She watched as his bottom lip trembled and her heart began to ache. She tried her best to fight off the urge to wrap him in her arms and kiss his stupid face. That didn’t last long. 

She quietly whispered his name before surging forward and pressing her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his body and that’s when she realized he was shaking. It took him a while, but soon enough he began to move his lips in accordance with hers and wrapped his strong arms around her waist. 

When they pulled away, Rey saw tears stream silently down Ben’s face.

“Rey, I’m sorry.” He pressed his forehead onto hers and shut his eyes closed. “I’m so sorry.” 

She sighed. She didn’t know if she forgave Ben yet. There was still so much she wanted to get off her chest and so much she still had to think through. But, in that moment, she realized that she wanted to figure it out with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This night takes place in two parts - chapter 4 and chapter 5 (which I'm posting right after I post this one) 
> 
> So, as things got heated in this chapter, things also get heated in the next one...but a bit smuttier 
> 
> I hope you guys liked the chapter and again thank you for all the support on this story, it's making me fall in love with writing all over again and I hope to write more stories in the near future 
> 
> my tumblr!! [emelissia](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/)


	5. One, Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Jonas Brothers once put so elegantly, "Baby you turn the temperature hotter/ Cause I'm burnin' up, burnin' up/ For you baby"

Rey felt the mattress dip below her as Ben settled his large body on it. She took the elastic out of her hair, letting it fall down her shoulders. As she ran her fingers through it, giving herself a little scalp massage, a small moan escaped her lips. 

She felt his eyes on her again, watching her. She turned around to meet his eyes and saw him smiling. There was a patch over his cheekbone, where Poe had hit him, and Rey had made him hold a bag of frozen peas over it to reduce the swelling. 

“What?” she asked, slightly annoyed. 

Ben shook his head. “Nothing. Come here.” He scooted his body towards her and gently pulled her down so that she was lying down with his arms around her. 

Rey had to admit that this felt nice. She nudged her head closer to Ben’s chest, relishing in the feeling that he was giving her. His body was warm against hers and he smelled faintly of cinnamon. A low growl rumbled through his chest as he ran his hand up and down her arm. 

Rey looked up at him and Ben’s heart skipped a beat as he watched her beautiful eyes searching his. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you for sleeping with Cassia.”

Ben nodded. “I know. But I’m going to try to make it right.” 

Rey frowned. “How?”

She felt his arms tighten around her body. “Tell me what you want more than anything.” 

“You can’t buy my forgiveness, Ben Solo.” Rey scoffed, rolling her eyes.

That’s when he sat up and angled his body so that he was propped on his elbow again and staring down at her wide eyes. “That’s not what I meant.” 

Rey looked up at him curiously. Her eyes darted to his pink lips which were parted slightly as he returned her gaze. “What did you mean?”

“What’s one thing you wish you could have in life?” 

Rey bit her bottom lip as she thought about his question. “I’m not sure.” She already had so much more than she thought she would have at this point in her life. But Ben kept looking at her expectantly. She sighed and relented. “When I was younger, I would have wanted a home. A place that was mine and I would never have to worry about not having enough food or money or a bed to sleep in. I would have wanted permanence.” 

“Do you think you have that now?” 

Rey continued to chew on her bottom lip and Ben felt himself harden slightly in his sleeping pants at the sight. He shifted so that his bottom half wasn’t pressed up against her leg anymore because he knew she wouldn’t be happy to learn that he was somewhat turned on right now. She sighed and looked up at him with big doe eyes, which didn’t really help the situation he was in. 

“I think I did for a while. I had my friends, a nice place to live, and school. I felt like everything was coming together. That was before…” her voice trailed off and Ben nodded. 

“Before me.” 

“No,” Rey raised herself up so that her face was merely a few centimeters away from his. “Not before you. Before my grandfather found me and made me into...the heiress.” 

“You don’t like being the heiress?”

Rey smiled sadly and shook her head. “People who don’t know me will only ever see me as the heiress. Someone who doesn’t really need to work for anything in life because it’s already been provided for them. And, don’t get me wrong, it’s nice knowing that I won’t ever have to go hungry again in my life. But I didn’t grow up like this person.” 

She looked down and Ben could see the sadness in her eyes. He had to fight the urge to stroke her face. 

“After my parents died, I lost everything. And I was nobody for a long time. So, I fought to create an identity for myself. I worked hard to support myself and to be the person I am today. But all that’s gone now because the whole world can only see Rey Palpatine, Heiress to the Palpatine Fortune.” 

She plopped herself back down on the bed with a heavy sigh. “What about you, Ben Solo? What do you want more than anything?” 

Ben did the same, lying down on his back next to her. He gently grasped her hand and drew slow circles on her palm with his thumb. “Freedom.” 

Rey turned her head to look at him with bemusement. She definitely didn’t expect that answer.

“I want to be able to do whatever I want with my life. I want to make my own decisions and be the person that I want to be. Not the person who my parents made me to be. Or the person the world expects me to be.” 

Rey watched the way his eyes seemed to gloss over like he was daydreaming about some faraway land. “You think you can’t?”

Ben turned his head so that he was looking at her now. “Not really. Since I was born, my mother had my entire life planned out. I was to go to the top schools, the top colleges, become a lawyer, and then join her on the Senate. Eventually, I would make my way up to the White House as her successor.” 

Rey studied his dark eyes. He looked so young like this. So relaxed. 

“I tried to fight it. I did whatever I could to make my parents angry. I caused fights. I broke the paparazzi's cameras. One time, I even stole one of their cars and led a manhunt to Harlem. Anything to make sure the life my mother was pressuring me into couldn’t come true.” 

Rey frowned. She was probably thinking about the wrong thing but the words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. “So you didn’t sleep with all those women?” 

The ends of Ben’s lips twitched. He cocked an eyebrow at her. “That’s what you got out of this? I just told you about one of my deepest, darkest secrets and you want to know about my sex life?”

Rey felt herself blush, a blush that only deepened when Ben broke out into a full shit-eating grin. She glared at him. “I don’t care about your sex life. I’m just wondering if all those reports were true. Like the ones about you having orgies with models on yachts or bringing home a girl every night. Or that one about you getting that actress pregnant?” 

Ben laughed and Rey’s stomach fluttered at the sound of it. He had that smile on, the one with the dimples, that made her weak in the knees. 

“No, I never had an orgy on a yacht. And I didn’t bring home girls every night. Maybe one every week but that’s during a good month,” Ben winked at Rey. 

Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She grabbed the pillow underneath her and smacked it on his face. “You’re intolerable.”

That only seemed to make Ben laugh even more. “And I never got anyone pregnant. If I did, they’d probably be pounding down my door for child support.” 

Rey felt a sense of relief wash over her. It was short-lived. 

“What about you?” Ben smirked. 

“What about me?” 

“How many guys have you slept with?” 

“What?!” Rey jolted up, her face a dangerously red colour now. “You can’t just ask me that!”

Ben sat up to face her, his smile growing wider by the second. “Well, you basically just asked me the same thing. It’s your turn.” 

“I...I’ve…” Rey didn’t know how to say the words. She’d never felt comfortable enough to do anything with a guy, let alone sleep with them. Sometimes a cute guy would walk in during her shift at the electronics store she worked at when she was younger, but she was more focused on doing her job. And, oftentimes, a guy would approach her on campus and try to strike up a conversation to get her phone number. She found it bothersome if nothing else. 

But how was she going to tell Ben Solo that she was a virgin? 

She chewed on her lip and tried to avoid Ben’s gaze. “I’ve never…” 

“Oh.” Ben seemed at a loss for words. He cocked his head to the side with an unfeigned look of curiosity on his face. “You’ve never had sex before?” 

Rey shook her head and wrapped her arms around her chest. She shrugged, trying to brush off the embarrassment she was feeling. “I never felt like I needed to. Or really wanted to. I know it’s kind of embarrassing-” 

“It’s not embarrassing.” He sounded genuine. “Not at all.” 

Rey would regret the next couple of words that came out of her mouth. “Do you want to have sex?” 

Ben’s eyes gaped at her.

Her heart dropped when she realized what that had sounded like. “No, not like that. I mean-” 

“Yes.” The word left Ben’s mouth before he could even comprehend what she was saying. He was stunned at how forward his fiancee was being, but he couldn’t hide the fact that the thought of being Rey’s first was enticing. Being the first one to make her feel pleasure like that. To be the first one to give her an orgasm and watch her fall apart underneath him. 

“No!” Rey’s face was as red as a tomato. “I meant, would you want to have sex...eventually? When we’re married.” 

“Oh,” Ben took in a deep breath. His erection was pressed uncomfortably against his boxers and he would need to excuse himself later to take care of it. “I wouldn’t force you if that’s what you’re asking. But, if you wanted to, we can.” 

Rey’s eyes studied him. Did she want to? She would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t find Ben attractive. His smile already had such an effect on her and she had spent a few nights missing the feel of his lips pressing against hers. What would it feel like pressed on the other parts of her body? 

Her eyes traced his shirtless torso before it landed on the waistband of his black sleeping pants. She swallowed at what lay underneath it. Rey had found countless interviews of models Ben had slept with and they all seem to recount their experiences with him as...pleasurable. One particular interview had the girl insinuating just how big he really was and how she could feel “it” all the way down her throat. 

Would Rey be able to take Ben like that? 

A burning sensation started to grow between her legs at the thought of Ben in her mouth. She’d watched a few porn videos before and the man always seemed to enjoy it. Would he grab her hair like those actors did? Would she be able to make him feel as good as they seemed to feel?

“Rey?” Ben looked at her with concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?” 

The feeling in her crotch only seemed to grow as she watched his eyes studying her. Those deep, dark eyes. She felt herself getting wet and her mind instantly shifted to imagine what it would be like to feel Ben’s hands there. To feel his fingers spread her open and inside of her. 

Rey decided she didn’t want to imagine anymore. 

“Lie down,” she commanded. Her eyes were intense and dark and Ben did as he was told. 

Rey put her legs over Ben’s hips so that she was straddling him now. She let out a soft gasp as she felt how hard he was already. She slowly started to grind herself against that hard bulge and a soft moan escaped her lips. She felt like she was on fire. 

“Rey.” Ben’s eyes were worried. “Is this…” 

“Yes. I want this.” 

That’s all he needed to hear. Within a heartbeat, he had pulled Rey down so that he could push his lips against hers. Rey’s hands laced into Ben’s hair and a low groan echoed through his chest. 

Her hips began to furiously grate against Ben’s erection. It was hitting a spot that Rey hadn’t thought about in so long. Small, sharp cries escaped her lips as she felt something building within her. 

Ben’s hips were also rocking according to her pace and he moaned into her mouth. In this moment, he was in pure ecstasy. His head was dazed with lust as his hands traced down her body, his thumbs gently rubbing her hardened nipples. 

“Ben!” Rey gasped and her grip in his hair tightened. He hummed in approval, enjoying the feeling of his fiancee squirm on top of him. 

He slowly brought his hands to the bottom of her sleeping shirt, not before giving her nipples one last pinch. Rey’s hands met him there and she hastily brought it over her head before throwing it onto the ground. 

Ben’s breathing hitched as he realized Rey hadn’t been wearing a bra under her shirt. Her perfectly round breasts were now on display before his very eyes and he couldn’t believe how beautiful they were. He watched the way her breasts bounced lightly as she continued to ground her hips into his and the way her taut nipples peeked out from them. They were just begging to be licked and sucked on. 

He placed his hot mouth over one of them, gently flicking his tongue over the sensitive bud and enclosing his teeth over it. 

Rey threw her head back in pleasure, her eyes closed, as his name escaped her perfectly plump lips. “Ben!” 

It was all too much for Ben and, with one last thrust from Rey, he felt himself cum inside his boxers. He shuddered as his orgasm passed through him, his fingers digging into her ass as the pleasure rocked him. 

When he opened his eyes, he saw Rey’s wide eyes staring at him in astonishment at what had just happened underneath her. 

“Shit,” Ben cursed quietly to himself. He felt his face heat up and he couldn’t dare look Rey in the eye. With all the time he’d spent with countless women, he had never come so fast and definitely never from dry-humping. He felt like a 14-year-old boy who had just discovered Playboy Magazines. 

“Ben?” Rey looked at him with big, dark doe eyes. She placed a hand on the side of his face. Her hand was welcomingly cold against his flustered cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Without even thinking, Ben lifted Rey off of him and jumped up from the bed. “Uhm. I...I’ll be right back.” Still not looking at her, Ben grabbed a shirt from the closet and practically ran out of the room. 

Rey could only sit there in utter and complete confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I've ever written anything smutty so I'd love any feedback and anything else you guys would like to see in the future 
> 
> again, thank you so so much for reading and keeping up with me and this story 
> 
> I will be updating chapter 6 very soon!
> 
> my tumblr!! [emelissia](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/)


	6. Up Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rey and ben learn a little bit more about each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah it's been a while since i last updated, i'm so sorry guys!! i'll be sure to update a lot sooner for the following chapters

“Wait, so he just left?” 

Rey sighed as she looked down at the latte in her hands. Her stomach clenched at the memory of what had happened between her and Ben the night before. “I don’t know. Maybe I came on too strong. But I thought…” She sighed and tightened her grip around the coffee cup. “I thought he’d like it.” 

She lifted her head up to meet Rose’s bewildered eyes. They were sitting in a Starbucks right next to the NYU campus. Around them, students were getting their drinks and sitting on their laptops to get work done before the rush of a new week began. 

Rose cocked an eyebrow. “I mean, I think he did like it if he...well…” She made some gesture with her hands. “Y’know.” 

Rey thought about the past couple of weeks that she had spent living with Ben. So much had happened already in such a short amount of time. She thought about how close they had gotten physically without even really knowing each other. And she thought about how they just seemed to switch from yelling at each other to kissing to yelling again and then back to kissing. She felt like she was all over the place. 

“I don’t know what’s gotten into me,” Rey admitted. “I’ve never been like this before. And if it were anybody else, I wouldn’t even let them get in the same bed as me. But with Ben…” Her voice trailed off. She really didn’t know where she was going with this. 

“It’s because you like him.” Rose took a sip from her mocha, licking the whip cream off of her lips before she continued. “You’re attracted to him. He creates a physical reaction in you and that causes you to act without really thinking.” 

“What?” Rey gaped at Rose. “I don’t like him! That would mean I have some sort of romantic feelings towards him and I’m not there yet.” 

“No, no. It’s nothing romantic or emotional. It’s just pure infatuation,” Rose shrugged and offered her a gentle smile. “You have a crush on him.” 

A crush? Rey wrinkled her nose at the idea. But, she had to admit that would explain her reckless behavior whenever she was around Ben and it gave her a convenient excuse for why she couldn’t stop thinking about crushing his face against her's whenever she was alone with her thoughts. And maybe crushing his face against some other parts too. 

“Alright, let’s say I do have a crush on Ben. What do I do about it?” Rey could not remember the last time she had a crush on someone. Other than finding the occasional boy cute, she never really considered herself a romantic and never had the time to indulge in such things. 

“Oh honey, you’re too innocent for your own good.” Rose laughed, looking at her best friend endearingly.

“Rose, I’m serious!” Rey could feel her face getting red. 

“Okay,” Rose began. “Crushes don’t have to be complicated. You might simply think he’s cute but that doesn’t mean there have to be messy emotions or feelings behind it. So, you can either leave things as is and let the crush run its course or…” She shrugged. “You can do something about it.”

“Do something about it?” Rey furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. “What would I do?” 

“Sleep with him.” Rose nonchalantly picked at the blueberry scone in front of her. “Get it out of your system.”

“What?!” Rey shrieked. She gawked at Rose in complete disbelief. She whipped her head around and saw some of the other patrons of the cafe glancing over to where she was sitting before they quickly returned to their coffees and laptops. Rey blushed and leaned into the table, trying her best to hush her tone despite the outrage she was feeling. “Are you insane?” she whispered, which came out more as a hiss. 

Rose cocked her head in confusion. “But didn’t you want to last night? Isn’t that why you straddled him and-” 

“I know what I did!” Rey huffed. She took a deep breath to collect herself and stared down at the croissant on her plate. “Yes, maybe a small part of me did want to...have sex with Ben.” She had to force the last words out of her mouth. “But now that I know that all of this is just because of a crush, I can control myself.” She poked at the croissant. “This is just some silly, grade-school crush that I’m going to have to wait out.” 

Nothing else, Rey thought. She tried to convince herself that there wasn’t anything deeper to her relationship with Ben. Yes, they were engaged to be married but it’s not like they dated, fell in love, and then decided to spend the rest of their lives together. She had to be stronger than this if she was going to make it through the next year married to him. 

And it was just a crush. No emotional attachment. Nothing like that. And no feelings. 

It was too soon for feelings, wasn’t it? 

* 

When Rey got home that evening, she was utterly exhausted. She had spent the whole day learning about computational methods in civil engineering and had gotten so immersed within the material that she didn’t even realize it had turned 5 o'clock and the sky was starting to get dark. 

As soon as the elevator doors opened into the penthouse living room, she kicked off her shoes and plopped her body down onto the couch. The whole apartment was dark; the only source of light was coming in through the window thanks to the dimly lit buildings of Manhattan.

Rey sighed and stretched her arms over her head. Her thoughts drifted to Ben and she wondered where he had gone off to. They hadn’t talked since last night after he abruptly left the bed and he had spent the night in his office. When she woke up this morning, he had already left. 

She never knew where he went off to whenever he leaves the apartment or what he does outside of, well, being Ben Solo. Before their arrangement, she always assumed he spent all his time entertaining women at the club and getting himself into trouble that would make the front page of the news the next day. 

But, after she had moved in, she noticed that he spent quite a bit of time in his office but she never knocked to see what he was doing in there. Whenever she saw the light on underneath the door, she would force herself to keep walking. 

Rey felt herself drifting off underneath the soft glow of the moonlight. She listened intently to the streets below her: at the cars driving by, the shouts of a few gleeful people probably excited to start their Saturday night, and...and…

A man moaning? 

Rey sat up with a start as her ears perked up to the sounds of soft moans coming from down the hallway. The ends of her hair stood up as she realized that someone else was in the apartment. 

Ben? Yes, it had to be Ben. But, why was he moaning? 

Rey swallowed and slowly tip-toed herself across the living room. She looked down the hallway and saw the light of his office aglow underneath the door. 

Maybe he had passed out in there and was now talking in his sleep? Yes, that had to be it 

Rey turned around and set her tracks towards the kitchen to start preparing dinner. 

“Fuck!” 

She jumped. It was Ben’s voice and he sounded like he was in pain. Without even thinking, she ran down the hallway towards his office and barged open his door. 

“Ben!” Her voice was frantic and her eyes darted around the room. “Are you-oh!” 

Rey stopped in her tracks and gaped at the scene in front of her. 

Ben had been sitting on the small brown couch in his office, head thrown back in pleasure, and his fingers wrapped around his hardened erection. 

She instantly felt herself flush. Her eyes darted from Ben’s wide eyes to his clothes strewn across the hard-wood floor and then back to his eyes and then to his cock in his hands. “Shit! I’m so sorry!” 

“Rey, it’s-” Ben abruptly grabbed his boxers from around his ankles and shimmied them up his thighs. He stood up and walked towards Rey, his palms facing towards her as if trying to calm her down. 

She was calm, wasn’t she? Rey was certain she had been calm the whole time.

“I-I’m going to go! You, uhm…” Rey’s voice trailed off as she looked down at the floor. She didn’t dare look up at Ben after what she had just interrupted. She closed her eyes and turned around to flee down the hallway. 

“Wait, Rey-” Ben’s hand shot out to grab her wrist and turned her back around to face him. He had to apologize for what she had just caught him in the middle of. He tried to calm himself down but he was just as flustered as she was and the fact that it was actually her he was thinking about while he was...well, y’know...did not help to relax his erection which was now pressed up against his stomach under his underwear. 

Rey stumbled back and fell forwards, her face smacking hard into Ben’s rock-hard chest. “Ow!” 

“Rey!” He seized up and grabbed her before she could fall onto the floor. “Are you okay?” 

Rey lifted her head up to look at him, her eyes wide and round. Ben felt his stomach flip as he realized that their faces were only an inch apart and his nose was now pressing up against hers. This certainly wasn’t helping the situation that he was having...down there. 

Rey watched as Ben’s dark, brooding eyes studied her face. She felt her cheekbone sting slightly from its impact with Ben’s abs but ignored it because she was absolutely positive that the flush from her cheeks was covering the swelling. 

“Rey, I’m so sorry,” Ben sighed, his gaze boring deep inside of her. He seemed truly apologetic, his forehead wrinkled in worry and his lips pursed into a fine line. 

“No, no!” Rey squeaked, her voice a lot higher than what she would have wanted. “Don’t be sorry! It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have barged in and-” 

“No, Rey, it’s not your fault.” Ben took a step back. He ran a hand through his hair as he sighed and looked off to the right as if in deep contemplation. 

Rey noticed that his black locks had grown a bit longer and she bit her lip as Ben pushed some strands back with his hand, perfectly framing his angular cheekbones. This is also when she realized that he was still very much topless and pantless. 

As her eyes traveled up and down Ben’s physique, she had to suppress a squeak of surprise as she gaped at the shape of his erection pressed firmly against the thin material of his underwear. She forced her eyes to look away and instead slowly traced over the muscles of his thighs and torso before landing on his massive biceps. She was completely mesmerized by the way his body flexed and tightened from his breathing and a few small movements. And, as Ben took a step towards her, her stomach did a somersault and she felt like her heart was going to beat straight out of her chest. 

This stupid crush, Rey thought to herself. 

“I’m sorry about last night too,” Ben continued, still not meeting her eyes. 

Rey frowned. “What? Why?” 

“I ran off and I just left you in bed. And that was because I…” Ben ran another hand through his hair, a nervous habit Rey was beginning to find quite charming, and she noticed a deep blush creeping up his neck. 

“Because you came?” She knitted her eyebrows together. “Isn’t that good, though? I thought that was the point of sex.” 

At this, he turned his head to look at her and his eyes twinkled. “That’s not the point of sex,” he chuckled. The ends of his lips lifted up, not in a smirk but in a genuine smile as he looked intently into her eyes. “You’re so...innocent, Rey.” 

“No, I’m not!” Rey snapped back. Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout as she glared angrily at Ben - which only seemed to make his smile grow wider and that, in turn, only made her more annoyed. “Now, can you just tell me what’s wrong? I’ve had a long day and I’m hungry.” 

Ben’s smile faded away and he closed his eyes, his forehead wrinkled in thought. When he opened them, they had become dangerously dark. Rey’s stomach lurched. “It’s just that...I’ve never come so fast like that before.” She froze as Ben lifted a hand to brush a strand of her hair away from her face. “I never lose control but, in that moment, I did. With you.” 

“Oh.” Rey stared blankly at her fiance. She inhaled a sharp breath and nervously chewed on her bottom lip. She tried to keep her stance firm, despite the growing warm sensation in her stomach over what he had just admitted. “You probably haven’t, uhm, jacked off since I moved in. And it’s been a stressful few weeks so I think…” 

Her voice trailed off as she watched Ben gaze into her eyes, his features softening as his eyes traveled from her eyes down to her lips. Without thinking, he lifted his hand and gently grazed his thumb across her bottom lip. 

Rey gasped and jerked back into the wall behind her. “Ben.” She stared up at him with wide eyes and a worried expression. 

Ben inhaled deeply. “It’s not just that, Rey. When your friend was here that night, I lost control too. I’ve been in fights before but it was always just for show. I never really cared until…” His eyes bored into her. 

He couldn’t deny anymore that there was something about Rey that seemed to have a profound effect on him - something that had been building up since she first moved in. But, he was never someone who spoke about his feelings or his thoughts. No one ever seemed interested in them and, eventually, he figured there wasn’t anyone he could confide in. 

So, how was he supposed to tell Rey Palpatine that she had been in every single one of his dreams since the first time he kissed her? How was he supposed to admit to her that, ever since last night, he hasn’t been able to stop touching himself at the memory of her grinding on top of him and her soft moans of pleasure? And how was he supposed to explain the way his heart did cartwheels whenever she smiled? Or when he would feel her gaze on him and it made him feel like his skin was basking in sunlight? 

“I’ve never felt the way I feel whenever I’m around you,” Ben finally confessed. He then tensed his body, as if bracing for impact. He waited for the words that would tumble out of her mouth and try to gently let him down. And he prepared himself for the pain he would soon feel as she tried to explain why she didn’t want him. 

Rey’s bottom lip trembled. “Ben…” She took in a deep breath.

Here it comes, he thought. 

“I like you,” Rey suddenly blurts out. 

Oh. He wasn’t expecting that. 

Ben gaped at her, his jaw slack and his eyes wide, and she stared back at him in astonishment, almost like she couldn't believe she just admitted that to him. 

The ends of Ben’s lips twitched slightly. “You...what?” 

“I-I mean…” Rey was getting flustered and she hated when that happened to her. Yes, she did just admit to Ben Solo she liked him but that was only because he had been opening up to her, right? She wasn’t expecting him to say the things he did and she certainly didn’t expect how his words would make her feel and now...

Rey pursed her lips and clenched her fists on the side of her body, as a display of power and strength. No matter how she felt about him, she wasn’t going to let him use this against her. She’s a woman who has a right to be attracted to people and she won’t let anyone make her ashamed of that. She puffed her chest and crossed her arms across them. “Yes, I like you. But it’s just a little crush, okay? It’s not like I love you or anything.” Her eyes glared daggers right at him. “It’ll go away eventually.” 

At this, Ben’s face seemed to falter a little bit but Rey just stood firm, staring him down. And they just stayed like that for a little bit, staring at each other. Finally, Ben’s face broke out into a smile. “I like you too, Rey.” 

Rey swallowed and forced herself to act like it didn’t matter whether he liked her back or not. She shrugged, ignoring the fact that her heart was doing a little happy dance inside her chest.

“So,” Ben took a step closer to her. “We both like each other.” 

He had a stupid smirk on his face that made Rey grit her teeth. But, it also made the area between her thighs warm as his dimples became apparent beside his opulent lips. 

Oh, how she has grown to love the feeling of those lips on hers. 

And Ben saw how tense Rey was but he couldn’t help himself as he slowly stalked towards her. He was sure his eyes were wild right now as he looked at her, almost like a lion watching a deer.

Whenever a girl at the club caught his eye, Ben would swoon her with sultry words or whatever else girls liked but he was always composed, always in control. But around Rey, he acted impulsively and recklessly. So now that she was standing here right in front of him, her cheeks becoming more and more rosy from their increasingly close proximity, he was ready to risk it all.

“What should we do about this?” Ben asked, his face an inch away from hers. He tried to keep his confidence, tried to make it seem like he was just teasing her, but he couldn't hide the fact that there were a million butterflies in his stomach right now - butterflies that made him feel excited but also butterflies that made him feel terrified because he'd never felt this way before.

Rey gulped but still stood firm in her stance. Her eyes flickered from Ben’s face to the hard-wood floor. “How about you put your clothes back on first? And then we can talk.” 

He laughed at that but obliged. And she watched the smile on his face as he picked his sweater and pants from the ground and hastily put them back on; he genuinely seemed happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope u guys enjoyed this chapter! i'm going to work on replying to all the comments on this fic, starting with chapter 1 and from now on because i really love hearing the feedback and i want to talk with u guys too 
> 
> thank u so much for reading and commenting and giving kudos, i hope u guys know how much i appreciate all of u <3 and i really do appreciate constructive criticism too because i want to get better at my writing and so on, so pls don't be afraid to voice your opinions! (but in a nice way pls) 
> 
> i'll be sure to get chapter 7 up soon
> 
> tumblr!! [emelissia](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/)


	7. These Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> our favorite babies spend some quality time together!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been way too long since i last updated, i'm so sorry! life has been a lot lately and all the stress made me forget how much i truly enjoy writing this story...so, I will be putting in more effort to create a consistent update schedule! but please bear with me as I try to figure it out

“So…?” Ben raised an eyebrow at Rey from across the kitchen island. 

Rey gripped her mug of hot chocolate and slowly brought it up to her lips to take a sip. “So,” she began. “We should set up some rules. Some boundaries.” 

Ben pursed his lips and lifted his head up an inch as if he were pondering what she had just said. Rey took this time to properly study him: he had rolled the sleeves of the sweater up so that his forearms were completely revealed and he leaned down so that he could rest his elbows against the cold marble of the island. His hair was tousled and a few strands fell over his forehead and Rey secretly hoped he would push them back with his hands because she liked the feeling she got whenever he did something like that...something that he did when he thought no one was watching, something that was so innately him. 

“Okay,” Ben said after a while. “What kind of boundaries?” His eyes flickered back to her and he saw those bright, hazel eyes observing him. He liked it when she looked like this: her hair wrapped up in a messy bun with a few strands falling down her head like a halo while those eyes just looked at him with an intensity that made him so enraptured. She was wearing an oversized NYU crewneck sweater and a pair of black leggings that had his eyes follow the curves of her ass all the way to the kitchen where they sat now. 

Rey put her mug down and licked her lips. A familiar warm sensation began to build in Ben’s lower stomach - he never did get to finish what he was doing in the office before Rey came home and it was making his sitting in this stool (which was already too small for him) really uncomfortable. 

“Since we’re going to be married soon, the fact that we like each other...at least in a physical manner...is useful,” Rey spoke that last word carefully, trying to gauge Ben’s reaction. 

He smirked. “Useful?” 

“I just mean…” Rey bit her lip as she felt herself getting flustered again. She hated how he always seemed to have this sort of reaction on her, something no one has ever accomplished before. “This will help make things easier for us. I mean marriages are all about wanting to be around that person and, at least this way, it won’t be that terrible.” 

“Well, I’m glad the idea of being married to me won’t be that terrible for you anymore.” Ben’s smile grew as he watched Rey’s face become increasingly red. 

When she saw how much Ben was enjoying this, she rolled her eyes. She wasn’t going to let him get away with this. She sat up straighter in her chair, puffing up her chest, and shot a burning glare at him. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself there. You’re still going to have to spend your nights in your office doing...well…what you were doing earlier today.”

At that, Ben felt his face become hot and, seeing as how pleased Rey looked with herself, he was sure his blush had become apparent. Did she know that he had been stroking himself to the thought of her? 

“Okay.” Ben tried to regain his composure. “Suit yourself. But I have a suggestion.” 

Rey nodded, looking at him curiously. “Okay.” 

“Usually when two people like each other, they take time to get to know each other. They go on dates and do things together to find common interests.” Ben’s eyes twinkled as his lips grew into another smile, but it was gentler this time. “Let me take you on a date, Rey.” 

“Oh.” Rey’s eyes widened. She looked at him apprehensively, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that her stomach just flipped with excitement at the thought of going on a date with him. “Okay.” 

* 

It was 9 PM when Rey stepped out from the bedroom in her date night attire. She had never been on a date before, so she had absolutely no idea what to wear for this sort of occasion. She threw on a ruffled red skater dress that went up to her thighs and a denim jacket with faux shearling inside. She also put on some minimal makeup: just a little bit of blush, some eyeliner, mascara, and a bit of clear lip gloss. 

When she walked down the hallway into the living room, she saw Ben sitting on the couch waiting for her. He had on a pair of black jeans, a black long-sleeved henley, and a black overcoat. She blushed at how handsome she thought he looked in his all-black attire. 

He seemed to have the same reaction when his eyes landed on her. His eyes bulged slightly out of his head and she watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat as he swallowed at the sight of her. That only made her blush harder. 

“Uhm,” Rey bit her lip. “This might be a bit too cold for the outside weather right now, it’s night and-” 

“No, no.” Ben stood up and ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face. “You look beautiful.” 

Rey looked down, her face burning at this point. “Thanks. You do too.” She smiled a little bit, peeking up from her lashes to see if Ben understood her joke. 

He chuckled, his eyes still on her. “I mean it, Rey.” 

Rey’s heart was going to beat out of his chest at this point. It was beating so fast, she didn’t know if she was just extremely nervous or she was actually having a heart attack. She stood up straight and cleared her throat, trying to shake the anxious feelings away. “So, where is the famous Ben Solo taking me on our first date?” 

“Dinner.” Ben grabbed a pair of car keys off the hooks next to the elevator doors and winked at her. “I’m driving.” 

“Not your personal chauffeur?” Rey teased. 

“What?” He frowned. “I’m 30 years old, Rey. I don’t have a personal chauffeur.” 

Then Rey laughed; a genuine heartfelt laugh that Ben swore was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He realized that this was the first time he had heard her laugh and he couldn’t help himself when he leaned forward, grabbed her face between his enormous hands, and firmly pressed his lips against hers. She tensed for a second before melting into the kiss, her lips gently moving against his. 

When he pulled away, Rey groaned at the loss of his plump lips against hers. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Ben positively beaming back at her. As the elevator doors opened, he held out a hand towards her, his smile never once leaving his face. “Let’s go.” 

*

“Table for two, please.” 

The waiter, dressed up in a fitted white shirt and black dress pants, nodded and made a gesture with his hand for them to follow him. “This way, Mr. Solo and Ms. Palpatine.” 

Rey shivered. She was glad to be out of the cold because she had, in fact, dressed too little for the cold New York night. But, it wasn’t like she and Ben had waited outside for long. Ben had valet park his car, a matte black 2016 Mercedes-Benz, and they only had to stand outside the restaurant for a minute before management came out to personally greet and welcome the renowned couple inside despite the 50-minute wait. 

As they walked towards their table, Rey could feel all eyes following her and Ben. She watched as a few patrons turned to whisper to each other before turning their attention back to them with wide, shocked eyes. 

She turned her head to look around the restaurant, swallowing nervously as she watched one woman pull out a phone to take a picture of the two of them. She took a seat across from Ben at the table set up for them. “Everyone’s staring at us,” she whispered, leaning in. 

Ben smiled softly. “Rey, this is our first outing together since the announcement of our engagement. I think people are...well, I think they’re surprised to see us out together at all. I doubt many people actually thought of our engagement as anything other than an economic proposition between our families.” 

Rey nodded, fidgeting with the wine glass in front of her. “You’re right. I guess we haven’t really made an effort to make our engagement seem...real.” 

Her thoughts flashed back to that day Cassia, Ben’s old fling, had come over to their apartment and the argument that ensued between him and Rey had resulted in him exclaiming that he didn’t see their engagement as anything real. Her heart panged painfully at the memory.

Just at that moment, a woman approached their table and smiled widely. “Good evening, Mr. Solo and Ms. Palpatine. My name is Bazine and I will be your server for tonight. Can I start you off with anything to drink or eat?” 

Ben offered her a polite smile before grabbing one of the menus in front of them and scanning the appetizer options before him. 

Rey noticed that Bazine had now shifted down the table so that she was standing right above Ben, so close that his shoulder would graze against her stomach if he made any sudden movements. 

Something deep within Rey’s stomach began to stir: an urgent heat that began to spread throughout her body and made her want to wipe the smug smile right off of Bazine’s stupid, gorgeous face. 

Bazine bent down so that her face was right next to Ben’s ear and her bosom was proudly on display in front of his peripheral view through her low-cut dress. She spoke slowly with a nauseating smile directed right at Ben. “If you need any help with making a selection, Mr. Solo, I’d be more than glad to offer my services. Don’t be afraid to ask.” 

Rey’s nostrils flared. It took everything within her to not lunge at the waitress right now and yank her pretty black hair right off of her scalp. 

But, she knew that causing a scene right now with so many onlookers around her would not be a good idea - the last thing she needed was to make tabloid headlines and have her life uprooted once again by paparazzi waiting outside her window. So, instead, she gripped the edge of the table with such ferocity that her nails began to make indents in the wood. 

“I could also have something special prepared for you, Mr. Solo,” Bazine continued. Rey had to remind herself to keep breathing like a normal human being as she watched Bazine sweep her hair to one side so that her bare neck could be presented to Ben. 

Her fiance, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the flirting waitress next to him and pursed his lips as he pondered between teriyaki chicken or calamari or whatever a pompous restaurant like this would have. 

Bazine leaned over to point at something on Ben’s menu and that was the last straw for Rey. 

She cleared her throat much louder than necessary and projected her voice as confidently as she could. “I’m going to have the ravioli with garlic bread on the side.” She then shifted her gaze to Ben and smiled as sweetly as she could. “And what about you, baby?” 

Ben’s eyes perked up to her, his mouth slightly parted in astonishment at the name she had just called him. He cocked an eyebrow at her. In return, Rey smiled as widely as she could before flickering her eyes to Bazine with a glare dripping in acid. 

Ben put the menu back down on the table and sat back in his chair. “And I’ll have the steak. Medium rare.” His eyes never once left Rey’s face. 

Bazine shot up abruptly, her face contorted into an expression of disdain. She pursed her lips together in a fine line as she frowned at Rey. “Of course. Your orders will be ready shortly.” And with that, she hastily grabbed the menus from the table and scurried off into the back of the restaurant. 

At one point, she quickly glanced over her shoulder back at their table and Rey was ready to meet her with a sickeningly sweet smile. 

Ben watched with amusement as Rey’s smile disappeared into a scowl and when her eyes finally met his, he couldn’t help but smirk at her. “So...baby?” 

"I only said that because she was flirting with you." Rey rolled her eyes. “How could you not notice that she was so obviously throwing herself at you?” 

“She was?” Ben cocked his head to the right, looking genuinely confused but also equally entertained by what was happening. 

“Yes!” Rey threw her hands up in exasperation. “She was practically shoving her tits right in your face and leaning on you and offering to make you something special and all that!”

Ben’s stupid smirk was growing wider by the second. “Everyone here knows we’re engaged, Rey. I think she was just trying to be a good server." 

“Ugh, you’re completely hopeless!” Rey crossed her arms across her chest and looked off to the side. 

“And you’re jealous,” Ben chuckled. 

She gaped at him. Oh, now he’d done it. “Are you that much of an egotistical, narcissistic, self-absorbed, totally idiotic-”

Then, without warning, Ben reached out to grab her hand away from her chest and placed a gentle kiss on it. Rey felt her heart stop and all the anger within her dissipated as she watched him press his soft lips against the back of her hand. 

When he raised his head back up to meet her dumbfounded gaze, he winked at her and gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Being jealous isn’t a bad thing, y'know. It just means you really care about someone. And I get that because..because I really care about you.”

Rey felt her stomach fill with a million butterflies at Ben’s words. Her eyes flickered across his face to see if he was actually being serious or was just joking and trying to get a reaction out of her. But before she could reply, a waiter approached the table with a sleek wine bottle in his hands. 

He cleared his throat and smiled down at them. “Good evening. The maitre d’ would like to gift you with this delectable pinot noir, originating from the south of France and aged for approximately…” 

She tried her best to keep up with the words coming out of the waiter’s mouth but she found that she could only focus on Ben right now: the way he smiled and nodded along as he listened intently to the waiter’s descriptions, the way the black henley he was wearing stretched out over his broad chest, and the way those freaking adorable dimples made an appearance whenever he smiled without meaning to and always seemed to make a certain area between her legs ache with desire. 

And the rest of the night was a complete blur. 

Bazine never returned to their table as, thankfully, another server had taken her place and so Rey was able to enjoy her evening in peace. Ben refused to take a sip of the wine they had been gifted because he was driving and so she downed both of their glasses and then another one right after that. 

By the time they were back at Ben’s building, Rey was completely enwrapped in the effects of the alcohol and could only stumble into the lobby with his arm around her. 

“You know what, Ben?” Rey half-hiccuped and half giggled as they made their way into the elevator. She was beaming up at him with hooded eyes. 

“What, Rey?” Ben had his hand firmly grasped around her waist so she wouldn’t topple over onto the floor as the elevator jolted up towards his apartment. Also, he liked having her this close to him. 

She was basically pressed up against him at this point, her head resting lazily on his bicep and one of her arms curved around his neck. She made a humming noise in the back of her throat as she looked up at him through her long eyelashes and her eyelids gently fluttered as she traced the features of his face. 

Suddenly, she reached out with her free hand and stroked his face. Ben froze. Their faces were so close that he could smell the pinot noir on her breath entwined with her usual scent of honey and lavender. 

“You’re really handsome, Ben Solo,” Rey murmured. 

Her lips twisted up into a droopy smile that made Ben’s heart skip a beat as he endearingly gazed down at her. She closed her eyes and pressed her face against Ben’s chest, letting out a content sigh as her body went limp and she fell asleep within his arms. 

Ben scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the elevator, across the living room, and into their bedroom. 

As he placed her onto the silk sheets and walked away to begin stripping himself of his clothes, Rey softly whined at the loss of his warmth and he had to resist everything within himself to not cradle her in his lap and fight anything or anyone who dared take her away from him. 

“Ben…” she whimpered, her eyes still closed but her eyebrows knitted tightly together. 

Ben walked over to the bed and knelt down beside her head. "I'm here, Rey." He gently placed a kiss on her temple, lingering to savor the smell of her hair. As he pulled away, he watched as a smile spread across her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love me some wholesome reylo moments <3 
> 
> I hope u guys enjoyed this chapter! lemme know what you think and again, thank you so so much for the comments, kudos, and bookmarks! it truly means a lot to me 
> 
> ALSO, i've been naming each chapter of this story to songs that I like or that I think fit in with the theme of the fic...so here is a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uyBkuCeM2YVFBPYeguUN1?si=ySHAxWOIQmmrPHZHN3pfJw) of those songs! imma update it as i go
> 
> stay tuned for chapter 8!!
> 
> and also come say hi on tumblr!! [emelissia](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/)


	8. Unravel Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot happens and a lot more will happen too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I didn't expect it to take this long to update and I'm so so so so so sorry for such a delayed update, school got so busy and for a while, I was so lost with how I wanted the story to unfold but I was able to finalize my outline and so hopefully the updates will be more frequent (i know I promise this every time but I'm really going to try!!) 
> 
> I hope u guys enjoy this chapter <3

Rey woke up the next morning to a horrible, horrible headache. 

Her brain felt like it was going to implode and her ears were ringing with a high pitched frequency that didn’t help the pounding that was going on inside of her head. 

“Ugh…” she groaned as she tried to push herself up on her elbows, smacking her lips together as the aftertaste of wine brought her back to her senses. 

She sighed as the events of last night came rushing back to her: her and Ben admitting they both like each other, their dinner date, that waitress who blatantly tried to flirt with Ben right in front of her, some really good ravioli, and then…

Well, she didn’t quite remember what happened after that - only a few bits and pieces from what her senses could collect while the effects of alcohol rendered her consciousness completely useless. 

Faint memories like a dark, musky scent that filled up her nostrils and eased the butterflies in her stomach...a soft, warm surface to rest her head against...a softness against her temple that gently rocked her to sleep. 

Rey forced herself to sit up and stand, ignoring her body’s desire to lay in bed all day. She looked down and saw that she was still dressed in her ruffled, red dress. 

She let out a sigh of relief knowing that she hadn’t unintentionally stripped nude in front of Ben last night or tried anything with him that would have made their situation even more complicated.

But when she turned her head around to the empty space next to her, she felt a tinge of sadness knowing that Ben had decided to not sleep next to her last night. She couldn’t remember the last time they had actually slept in the same bed together. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it. 

As Rey went to pick up her phone, which Ben had so kindly placed on top of her dresser, she noticed a yellow sticky note that was stuck to it with a hastily scrawled message on it from him. 

Went to get breakfast - will be back soon :) 

She picked up the note and slowly examined the words written across it, smiling quietly to herself as a warm feeling sparked within her stomach. For the first time since the day she moved into Ben’s apartment, she didn’t try to fight the warm, fuzzy feeling that filled up her body whenever she thought about him and the small things he did that made him so much more than the arrogant playboy she had initially believed him to be. 

Nor did she fight the feeling of butterflies in her stomach at the prospect of having breakfast with him this morning and the many more breakfasts and dinner dates that awaited them. 

Rey quickly stripped herself of her dress and threw on a pair of sweatpants and an oversized NYU t-shirt before making her way out of the bedroom and straight towards the bathroom for a much-needed shower. 

However, when she opened the door to step into the hallway, her ears picked up on urgent and angry whispering from what seemed like a group of people. Rey froze. 

Did Ben have people over? 

She took a small step forward, cursing when the floorboard creaked underneath her feet and the whispering came to an abrupt stop. Rey stood there as still as a status before a low, baritone voice that didn’t belong to Ben broke the tension. 

“Looks like she’s awake.” 

She held her breath as she listened to the loud creak of the couch and then the sounds of Ben’s heavy stomps. She allowed herself to relax her stance a little when she saw his black, tousled hair peek out from the corner at the end of the hallway. 

There were those butterflies again. 

Rey watched as the set of his jaw relaxed and the lines that were wrinkled on his forehead spread out as his eyes settled on her. She could only stare back with wide doe eyes as she raised an eyebrow and swiftly cocked her head towards the living room. 

“Who’s here?” she mouthed to him, careful not to make a sound. 

Ben sighed and ran a hand through his midnight locks. She watched as the amusement in his eyes dissolved into an annoyed coldness, his jaw set once again and his eyebrows furrowed together in agitation. He clearly didn’t like their guests. 

He raised a hand and gestured with it for Rey to come closer to him. She steadfastly walked towards him while trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her t-shirt in an effort to appear presentable and not hungover. 

But she froze in her spot when she saw the pairs of eyes looking at her as she came into view. 

Ben’s parents were here. 

And the fact that she was standing in front of Leia Organa and Han Solo in a tattered t-shirt and stained sweatpants made it much harder to swallow as she gawked at them. 

“Rey!” Leia smiled, standing up with her arms open to envelop her future daughter-in-law in a hug. 

Rey awkwardly wrapped her arms around Leia, both stunned and intimidated by the fact that she was hugging Leia Organa - the Leia Organa. She exuded a boldness and elegance that Rey could only dream of. 

“We’ve never had the chance to properly get to know each other. That needs to change immediately.” Leia placed Rey’s hands into her own and smiled warmly at her while leading her to the couch to sit between her and her husband. 

“This is Han, Ben’s father.” Leia gestured to the older man she was suddenly sitting next to. Rey stared at him with wide eyes and a blanched face. 

“Leia, you’re scaring her.” Han huffed, rolling his eyes before he offered her a small smile. “Hello, Rey. It’s good to see you again.” 

Rey tried her best to return the smile but she was stunned by their sudden friendliness and warmth. When she had met them during the contract signing with her grandfather, they hardly spared a second glance at her. 

Leia seemed to sense her confusion and she gently stroked a strand of hair away from Rey’s forehead with one hand and squeezed Rey’s own hand with the other. “We were so excited to meet you that one day but Palpatine has so many rules. He’s very careful when it comes to you. We maintained a distance so that you and I could properly talk another time.” 

Ben snorted and Rey darted her eyes to him. He was leaning his back against the living room wall with his arms folded across his chest and a scowl etched into his face, which softened slightly when his eyes met hers. “I didn’t think you’d be so scared of an old man, mother.” 

“Hush, Ben,” Leia scolded. She turned around to face her son with a frown. “That’s Rey’s grandfather you’re talking about. At least show her some respect.” 

Ben smirked conspiratorially. “I’m going to show her much more than that.” 

“Ben!” Leia gaped. 

But his eyes never once left Rey’s and his smile grew when he saw how pink her cheeks were getting. 

Han sighed and shook his head. “Not in front of the parents, okay kid?” 

Ben turned his head to look at his father and Rey watched as his whole body went rigid and the muscles underneath his black t-shirt tensed. 

He opened his mouth to say something but was promptly interrupted by Leia. She hastily flicked her hand, as if she was dismissing her son. “Let’s move on, shall we?” Then, she turned her body so that she was facing Rey once more and her smile returned. 

Rey felt her heart skip a beat for a second. She didn’t grow up with a mother and now she was sitting next to a woman who was looking at her like she hoped her own mother would have. 

“You must be wondering why Han and I decided to pop by so unexpectedly. Apart from the fact that Ben has been avoiding our calls for the past few weeks,” Leia threw a look at Ben who only stared back with a dark expression. “We want to make sure that everything is in place for the wedding in a few weeks.” 

Wedding? 

Oh.

Rey sat up instantly like lightning just shot through her body. It’s not like she forgot that she was getting married to Ben in two weeks, but no one had told her anything about a wedding. She simply assumed they would be married at City Hall with a quick signature and a kiss. 

Who said anything about a wedding?

And it turned out she wasn’t alone in her sentiment. 

“Wedding?!” Ben exclaimed. “Are you really going to bring more people into this? You’re insane!” He stomped right up to his mother and sneered down at her. “There won’t be a wedding. I won’t allow it.” 

“Ben!” Leia snapped, standing up and returning Ben’s sneer. “I am your mother and you will not speak to me like that.” 

Rey could see that Ben’s bottom lip was trembling as his eyes blazed with fury. 

But he seemed to shrink under Leia’s scolding - even though she was much shorter than he was and his broad build would have suggested otherwise, he looked like a little boy getting in trouble for refusing to eat his vegetables. 

Rey felt her heart pang. She watched as Ben tried to hold his glare on Leia but there was something else behind his eyes...something deeper than the person he showed the world. 

Leia exhaled and straightened her skirt and blazer. She looked up at Ben with eyes that were suddenly warm and it made him want to scream. 

“Please, Ben,” she began. “It’s just a formality. A necessary formality. We’re going to rent out a small banquet hall and we’re going to invite some people who are going to make this arrangement...more fruitful. 

Ben tightened his fists so hard he could feel his nails digging into the flesh of his palm. 

She always does this, he thought. She always decides my life and then tries to act like she cares about me. Like she loves me. She doesn’t. No one does. 

He felt darkness deep within him; something that was all too familiar to him during his younger years but he has since suppressed it. It only came out when he was in unfamiliar territory, like...around Rey. 

“I actually think a wedding would be nice.” 

Ben whipped his head to the voice that spoke and found Rey looking at him with big, concerned eyes and parted lips. She was standing between him and his mother but all he could think about was the hand she had placed on his bicep. 

He watched swallow and he could see how hard she was trying to remain civil and calm around his parents. She tried her best to feign a smile. 

“It doesn’t have to be a huge thing. Just something to make things more official.” 

Rey then looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. We don’t have a choice, they seemed to say. 

* 

Han and Leia left the apartment in the afternoon, not before insisting on cooking lunch because Ben’s mission to get breakfast was interrupted by their unannounced arrival. 

Rey could see that Ben was in a bad mood and it stretched on well into the day, even after his parents said their goodbyes. 

She didn’t know what to do. Well, she knew what she wanted to do but she wasn’t sure if she should. 

It had to take everything inside of her to not wrap him in a tight hug like she was accustomed to whenever her friends were having a bad day or press a kiss against his lips to bring back the memories of the night before. She really wanted to but she was scared.

Scared because every time their eyes met across the room or their hands would accidentally touch while reaching for a napkin or the ketchup bottle during lunch, something would spark inside of her stomach and spread throughout her body like wildfire. 

It was something that was more than just butterflies when she was around him or a warm fuzziness whenever he did something sweet or cute. It was something that Rey didn’t have a word for because she hadn’t felt it in so long and she hated the way her heart leaped whenever she thought about it...and whenever she thought about him.

She had to get out of the house because too much had happened in such a short amount of time and she still had a shitload of assignments to complete before the new school week. 

But, as Rey waited for the arrival of her bodyguard and driver outside of Ben’s apartment, she couldn’t stop thinking about the look he had given her when she told him she was going to the library to study with her friends. 

He had pursed his lips, his face frowning and his shoulders slouched over like a puppy who didn’t get a treat. He opened his mouth as if to say something and looked at her with eyes that were almost pleading before his whole body tensed and he just shrugged and turned his head to the side. “Alright.” 

That was all he said before walking past her into the hallway towards his office.  
And as Rey sat in the car on her way to the NYU campus, trying to ignore the way her bodyguard looked like he was going to pounce on every passing car or pedestrian, she could only focus on the growing sadness she felt. 

She let out a sigh of resignation when she realized it was because she missed him. 

*

It was a quarter past eight in the evening when Rey trudged out of the elevator into the living room, strands of her hair falling out of the three buns she put them up in and her eyes burning from the strain of looking at mathematical equations and theories all day. 

“Hey, you’re home.” 

Rey painstakingly turned her head to the side, energy suddenly returning to her body as she was greeted by Ben’s smile and warm eyes. And he looked good, wearing a pair of acid-wash black jeans and a black crewneck sweater. 

His hair was slicked back with some sort of gel, highlighting the angular shape of his cheekbones and nose. He looked handsome, too handsome, and Rey had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from drooling. 

She really hated what this crush was doing to her. At least, that was what she tried to convince herself. 

“Yeah,” Rey nodded. “I’m home.” 

And they both just kind of stared at each other for a few heartbeats until Ben crossed the distance between them, put his hands on each side of her face, and leaned down to press his lips against hers. 

Without meaning to, Rey let out a moan as a warm sensation flooded her senses and all she could think about was how soft his lips were and how good it felt to be this close to him. 

Ben’s hands slowly traveled down to grasp at her waist through her hoodie and the warmth she felt increased with urgency and spread to the place right underneath her belly. 

Her hands grabbed at his hair, trying to get him as close to her as possible, which invoked a groan from him. When he pulled away, Rey couldn’t help but whimper in protest. 

Ben grinned at her, his eyes twinkling and his chest heaving. “Trust me, I would love nothing more than to continue this. But the food is getting cold.” 

Rey could smell the sweetness of his breath and all she wanted in that moment was to feel the press of his lips again. But, food?  
Her stomach growled in agreement and she realized the last meal she ate that day was the lunch Leia had made for her and Ben. 

Ben laughed at her stomach grumbled on and she glared at him, her neck and face flushing a deep pink. But, before she could say anything in return, he grabbed her hand and led her into the kitchen where she was welcomed to two plates of some pasta dish with chicken and basil on the marble countertop with wine glasses next to them and a sweet-smelling candle in the middle. 

But it was the vase right next to the candle that made her heart swell. 

It was her mother’s vase, the one Ben had broken by accident on their first night together, filled with pink desert roses and daisies. It had been glued back together with cracks running through its entire exterior but Rey didn’t care because this meant he had taken the time and effort it back together...for her. 

Did he know why it was so important to her? 

Ben followed Rey’s gaze to the vase and smiled, his face a pink flush as well. “I tried my best to put it back together. I don’t think I did that great of a job and it might fall apart because I used some pretty questionable glue and-”

“Ben,” Rey gasped, trying to hold in the tears that were threatening to fall down her face. “It’s...it’s…”

She looked up at him and his heart did about a million somersaults. She looked so happy, her eyes glowing like the brightest stars in the sky and she was beaming up at him with pure, unadulterated joy. 

Beautiful, Ben thought as he dumbfoundedly stared back at her. 

“Thank you.” Rey hopped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest as her tears began to stain his shirt. “This means so much to me. Thank you.” 

Ben stood frozen for the first few seconds as he felt Rey’s warmth press into him. But, slowly, he lifted his arms to wrap around her as well. He pressed his face into her hair, breathing in the scent of jasmine and lavender. 

And, for the first time, his heart didn’t try to do somersaults or leap out of his chest when he touched her. 

It just felt warm. Really really warm. 

Like light was finally breaking through its cracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be much longer and end in a ~cliffhanger~ but i was worried this chapter was too long so i'll save it for next chapter
> 
> Again, i love you guys all so much and you have no idea how much each comment and kudos mean to me, like it makes my heart so warm and happy and i just can't thank you guys enough 
> 
> I will try my best to update at least once a week! If not, it's just because school and life but writing this reylo fics is one of my favourite things to do so i will always come back <3 
> 
> Also, my [tumblr](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/) if u wanna follow!! 
> 
> And the [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uyBkuCeM2YVFBPYeguUN1?si=ySHAxWOIQmmrPHZHN3pfJw) for this fic!! 
> 
> I also have a [twitter](https://twitter.com/emelissiaa) that used to be my personal one but i want to engage more with the reylo and star wars community so pls follow and lets be twitter friends <3


	9. Crowded Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bennnnnnnnn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the response to the last chapter and for being so understanding about my late updates. 
> 
> I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter as things pick up a little :)

A week had passed since Ben surprised Rey with dinner and her mother’s vase and, since that evening, they had set up a kind of routine. 

They went to bed together every single night with Rey nudged against Ben’s chest and Ben’s arm wrapped snugly around her body. 

Ben always had trouble falling asleep but there was something about holding Rey in his arms that just felt right and instantly rocked him into a peaceful slumber. 

And Rey loved inhaling the smell of Ben every night before sleeping, his body emanating a smell akin to sweet dark cinnamon mixed with a woodsy fire. She would stroke his arm, memorizing the curves of his muscular biceps and the way his skin rose into goosebumps after her fingertips traced a specific area while listening to his breathing even out. 

But that wasn’t her favorite part about sleeping in bed with him; despite her initial shock and uncertainty, she loved waking up to his body wrapped protectively over her as his hardened cock pressed into her back. 

Her strong affinity for this was completely uncharacteristic of her because Rey didn’t like anyone touching her, let alone someone’s erection. 

Yet the first time she felt Ben pressing up against her ass, she instinctively pushed back against it and relished in the small whimper that escaped his mouth. When she turned over to look at him, his mouth slightly parted as soft snores escaped his lips, she couldn’t fight off the way her heart swelled up to ten times its size.

He looked so young, so relaxed, so...free. 

For the first time in his life, or at least since Rey had met him, he didn’t look like he was fighting against the restraints that had been put on him and he didn’t look like he was struggling to keep on a mask. 

He didn’t have to worry about being the person everyone wants him to be or the person everyone assumes he already is; like this, he can be himself. 

And Rey loved seeing that, she loved seeing him so unrestrained and so...himself. 

That’s why on some mornings she would rock her hips back against his and he would follow suit, slowly increasing the pace until he was panting against the crook of her neck and the space between her thighs would pool with slick wetness. 

At that point, they would both be wide awake and engulfed in the pleasures that flowed through their bodies with each thrust. 

“B-Ben,” Rey panted one morning, her hand tossed behind her so that she could grip Ben’s hair as he rutted into her. But she needed more than this, she wanted more than this. The fire that had begun within her lower stomach was spreading lower and it was so hot and burning and she needed something, she needed anything, she needed him-

And suddenly Ben’s fingers plunged to her core, tracing the outline of her cunt through her cotton panties before rubbing the sensitive nub in the middle. Rey let out a cry, her face absolutely flushed with passion, as Ben’s index finger rubbed her entrance and his thumb toyed with her clit. 

A feeling was building deep within her and the wanton moans she allowed to escape her lips turned into full-blown cries as she stuttered Ben’s name. 

And she knew that he was close too as he frantically thrust against her, his large hands gripping her thighs hard enough to leave bruises on them for the next day and his mouth trailing kisses up and down her spine. 

And when the pleasure became insurmountable, she would cry out Ben’s name in a voice loud enough for the people below their apartment to hear her. Her hand would become entangled in his inky black locks and she would continue to move the curve of her ass against his front as his cock eagerly throbbed against her. 

Then she would turn around and palm Ben through his black boxers and watch as he threw his head back in ecstasy. 

“Rey…” Her name would escape his mouth between his heavy breaths and she would continue to stroke his length, one day even becoming daring enough to reach behind the band of his boxers and take all of him in her hand. 

Ben felt like he was going to pass out from the excitement and adrenaline that was pumping throughout his body. He’d never felt like this before but he had already made peace with the fact that Rey made him feel different...and that Rey was something different as well, something he had never encountered before in his thirty years of life but also something he didn't know how he lasted so long without. 

“Rey...I’m going to come,” Ben grunted. With that, Rey sat up and pushed Ben so that he was on his back and his cock was standing up in full display. 

And when Rey popped out her tongue to wet her lips and leaned down to wrap those beautiful, beautiful lips around the tip of his cock...Ben saw stars. 

He groaned as loud as he could as he shot white, ropey strands of his cum down her throat. And Rey, his wonderful Rey, swallowed all of it down while she looked at him the whole time...watching him...observing him. 

But not every moment between them was as hot and heavy as the ones they shared in the mornings. In the evenings, after their dinner and before they went to bed, they would sit on the couch entangled in one another. 

Rey would sit with her laptop and notebook in her lap and her legs swung around Ben’s outstretched ones. She always had a cup of warm hot chocolate next to her on the coffee table (the new one they ordered after Ben smashed the last one) while he often relaxed with a cold beer in his hand. 

Ben would watch as she furiously typed away on her laptop, a pencil hanging from her mouth as she read over her daily assignments and wrote down formulas in her notepad. It was in times like those that he realized how much he admired her drive to make something of herself...to create the life that she wanted, the life that she had always worked towards. 

And it made him realize how much he wanted to do the same. For him. And maybe...maybe also for her. 

Ben didn’t know what their current status meant for their marriage. They had both promised to only be married to each other for one year but that was when they absolutely hated each other. Now...now Ben wasn’t so sure anymore because he definitely did not hate Rey but he also didn’t know what it was that he felt for her. 

But he did know that seeing her like this, with her eyebrows furrowed in concentration and her lips jutted out in a slight pout as she furiously scratched down equations, it made a warmth spread throughout his chest. 

And he never hesitated when he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. He loved the way she froze when their lips made contact but then her entire body would relax and a soft moan would sound deep within her throat as her body melted into his. 

She would tuck her legs in, hastily throwing her laptop and homework down onto the ground, and adjust her body so that she was straddling him. And they would just stay like that, their lips intertwined together as Ben gently stroked the core of her back with his thumbs and Rey gripped his face with both of her hands and pressed him as hard as she could against her. 

And under the warm glow of the moonlight and the soft hum of the television in the background, they couldn’t ask for anything better. 

* 

When Rey walked out of the lecture hall that Monday morning, a triple shot hazelnut latte in her hand and her book bag slung over her shoulder, all she could think about was going home to see Ben. 

She knew he would be home this afternoon because apparently Leia was coming back to discuss wedding plans with the both of them. 

“Hey, Rey!” 

Rey lifted her head and smiled from ear to ear when she saw Finn and Rose walking towards her. They had their hands in each other's and their cheeks were both a bit flushed, their eyes just a little hazy with what was basically nuptial bliss at this point. 

Finn raised an eyebrow. “A venti latte? Looks like someone has had quite a morning.” 

“I just finished my integrated mechanisms exam,” Rey sighed. She swiped away the strands of hair that were falling from her three bun hairstyle and took a swig from her coffee cup. “I definitely needed the extra boost.” 

Rose lifted a knowing eyebrow at Rey and smirked. “Hm, would it be fair to say that something was keeping you up last night? Maybe a really big, broad-shouldered, dark, and brooding something?” 

“Rose!” Rey hisses, her eyes darting around to see if anyone was listening. But, to be fair, even if someone was listening she doubted a stressed, overworked college student would care about her sex life...even if she was “The Heiress”. 

“Hold up,” Finn’s jaw dropped as he gawked at Rey. “Did you and Solo do it last night?” Then, his eyes widened. “Have you guys been doing it this whole time?!”

“Doing it?” Rose rolled her eyes. “We’re not in pre-school, honey. You can say sex out loud.” 

“Okay, fine, sex.” Finn rolled his eyes back and nudged Rose playfully with his elbow before returning his attention back to Rey. “Did you have sex with Ben Solo?” 

“What?!” Rey exclaimed, her face the exact shade of a tomato’s at this point. “No, we didn’t! We haven’t had sex yet and it’s not...it’s not something I like to talk about!” 

“Rey, we’re your best friends. We were going to find out eventually,” Finn raised an eyebrow at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I can’t believe my little sis is all grown up! It seems like just yesterday you were running out of the room screaming when you found out that Rose and I had been-”

“Okay, stop!” Rey fumed. “Ben and I haven’t had sex yet! I’m still a virgin.” She exhaled the breath she had been holding in. “And he’s been very respectful of that, actually.” 

“Well, that’s good. As long as he’s not pressuring you or anything,” Rose nodded. 

“But…” Rey’s voice trailed, as she smiled conspiratorially at her two best friends. “It’s not like we haven’t done anything though.” She then beamed at them and turned around, walking down the hallway as fast as she could to get passed the double doors at the end. “Bye Rose! Bye Finn!” 

“Wait, what?!” Rey heard the two of them cry out as she pushed the handle of the door and rushed down the concrete steps outside of the building. 

She stopped and inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp air and the warm sunlight that basked on her skin. It was well into March now and spring was just around the corner - Rey’s favourite season.

As she walked down the cobblestone pathway towards her next class, she stopped in her tracks when she saw him sitting on one of the benches that lined the route. 

It was Ben. 

When he saw her, he stood up and walked towards her with a huge grin on his face. He was wearing a black bomber jacket with a tight black henley underneath it and his favorite black jeans. His arms were folded behind his back as if trying to hold something out of her view. 

“Ben?” Rey gaped at him. She tried to sweep the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face to the side again and patted down her sweatshirt and sweatpants in an attempt to look as nice as he did. “What...what are you doing here?” 

Ben was towering over her, looking down at her with endearing eyes, before he pulled a small bouquet of desert roses and daisies from behind his back. It was the same flowers from that night they had dinner, the same flowers he had used to adorn her mother’s vase. 

“I wanted to see how your exam went,” he shrugged, looking abashed as he avoided her eyes. “I also remembered how much you liked these flowers and I thought…” His voice trailed off and he just held the bouquet in front of him, his heart pounding as each second passed them by. 

“Oh, Ben,” Rey gasped. She took the bouquet and brought the flowers to her nose, inhaling deeply as the sweet smell of the desert roses and the freshness of the daisies filled her senses. “Thank you so much. This is so sweet. You didn’t have to do this, you know.” 

“Yeah, but…” Ben took in a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. “I knew it would make you happy.” 

Rey beamed at him, her heart filling with a joy she couldn’t describe. She lifted herself up on the tip of her toes and pressed her lips against Ben’s. 

Ben lifted his hands to caress her face in them, moving forward so that their bodies were pressed perfectly together. 

Rey couldn’t help but think that they were kind of like a puzzle; a puzzle whose pieces were perfectly shaped for each other, whose pieces were just meant to be placed together as one. It filled a part of her that she had forgotten about - the part of her that always felt so empty and alone. 

When they pulled away, Rey whimpered at the loss of sensation but relaxed when Ben’s large hands covered hers. 

“Come on,” he winked at her and placed a quick peck on her forehead. “I’ll walk you to your next class.” 

*

When the black, sleek car with the tinted windows pulled up onto the curb with her driver and bodyguard, it was well past seven o’clock in the evening and Rey was utterly exhausted. 

She had spent the whole day studying for other exams that were meant to take place throughout the week and her brain felt like absolute mush. The only thing that was keeping her from completely passing out was the thought of seeing Ben tonight and breathing in his comforting scent while feeling the warmth emanating from his body as they cuddled on the couch and in bed. 

She had only been sitting in the car for five minutes before her phone rang. She turned her head to look at the bright screen and her stomach dropped. 

Grandfather. 

Rey gulped and, with shaky hands, held the phone to her ear and answered it. She inhaled, her whole body trembling with anticipation and fear. “H-hello?”

“Rey! It’s your grandfather,” the voice on the other end said. 

Rey always thought that her grandfather had a terrifying voice, steeped with old secrets and a venom that you couldn’t quite pinpoint until his words oozed into your bones. 

“Yes, grandfather. Hello.” Rey chewed on her bottom lip, her mind instantly fleeting to the thought of Ben in order to calm herself down. 

“Hello, dear. I just wanted to see how you were and how things have been going on with Ben. I haven’t heard from you since you moved in with him.” 

“Things have been going well, grandfather. Ben and I have been learning to get along. Leia Organa and Han Solo paid us a visit the other day about the wedding and-”

“Ah, yes! The wedding. How very interesting, I did not think the wedding was actually set to happen.”

Rey’s stomach turned. How could he not know that the wedding was happening? Was it not his idea? 

“Well, before we continue with this wedding nonsense, I had some questions for you. You say that you and the young Solo have been getting along, but some unsettling information has crossed my attention recently.”

“U-unsettling?” Rey breathed. Her body felt like it was a live wire, tense with electricity sparkling through it...like at any moment, with any sudden movement or touch, she would erupt in shocks. 

“Yes,” her grandfather’s voice spoke on the other end. “My associates were frequenting a local cafe and they spotted the young boy with another woman.”

Rey froze. 

“They were sitting across from each other and immersed in deep conversation. It was a blonde woman and they seemed to be very familiar with one another.” 

“Blonde...blonde woman?” Rey whispered, her stomach churning in panic and disgust. 

Cassia. 

It had to be Cassia.

Rey’s vision blurred as the truth settled within her. 

“Yes, darling. I thought you might want to speak to him about this. I would never want anything to come between the two of you.”

And maybe it was the state that Rey was suddenly in, but she could have sworn that her grandfather sounded pleased on the other end. 

“Y-yes, grandfather.” Rey forced herself to speak. “T-thank you for telling me. I will speak to him about this.” 

But she wasn’t going to. She couldn’t bear to see him now; the absolute idea of him made her want to burst out crying. 

How could he do this? Rey wondered, her chest burning as her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. 

She truly could not bring herself to see him tonight. So, when she hung up the phone, she told her driver to take her to the only other address that she knew. 

And when they passed by Ben’s apartment, Rey forced herself to look straight ahead as the driver did a U-turn towards Rose’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, please don't hate meeeeee i promise things will be okay for our two space babies
> 
> But please let me know what you guys think about this chapter and, like i said earlier, things are definitely going to be picking up 
> 
> And thank you for every single comment and kudos, it means so much to me <3 
> 
> I hope everyone is safe during this time, i know it's been tough on the world lately so just sending extra love to you all!! 
> 
> And I will be sure to update soon ^_^
> 
> Also, my [tumblr](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/princekylorey) if u wanna come say hi <3 
> 
> And the [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uyBkuCeM2YVFBPYeguUN1?si=ySHAxWOIQmmrPHZHN3pfJw) for this fic!!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope u enjoyed chapter 1! This is the first fanfiction I've written in a few years so I'm a bit nervous about posting this but I'm open to any comments and critique too! Please be nice tho 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr as well!! [emelissia](https://emelissia.tumblr.com/)


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